


Life Below The Oaks

by Layneee



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Retirement Home, Anal Sex, Consensual Somnophilia, Eventual Smut, F/M, Flustered Dean, M/M, Meddling Old People, Nurse Dean, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2017-03-02
Packaged: 2018-06-01 22:26:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 34,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6538969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Layneee/pseuds/Layneee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean Winchester loves his job as a nurse at Oak Park Retirement Home. He loves his coworkers and he loves his residents. He has a good life. But life has a way of throwing you curve balls. In Dean's case, that curve ball comes in the form of the hot grandson of his favorite resident.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So if I'm being completely honest I wrote this because I really love the Julia/Jay romance. Like idk why these cute old people belonged together in my head, but they totally do. You'll get it. Promise. It was also originally a High School AU, but this made more sense.

Every other Friday night the residents of Oak Park Retirement Home have a cocktail party. The host or hostess, it changes as does the location from week to week, makes their favorite finger foods and can pick any activity for the night. Madge and Edwin, for example, make fruit cake and force their guests to sing carols, regardless of the season and that half of the guest are completely tone deaf.

Tonight the party is in room 7, in Julia Wilkinson's suite. Julia is fretting around the living space, making sure her belongings are in order while Jay handles the food. Thank God for Jay Bostwick. Julia loved her first husband, and when he passed Julia had mourned, but then Jay showed up two doors down from her and proceeded to charm her with magic tricks and little smiles.

"You're quiet in there," Jay says from the doorway. "Is everything okay?"

Julie sighs and puts down the pashmina she was folding. She thought she was doing so well, hiding her troubles, but who is she kidding? Jay can read her like a damn book. "Anna called today."

"Your granddaughter? Is that unusual?" Jay asks as he approaches.

"No. Not at all," Julia says. Jay raises a brow, making the wrinkles of his forehead wink at her. "I guess my grandson is back in town and Anna isn't too happy about it."

Jay nods, having been told enough about Julia's family to understand. "What'd you tell her?"

"I told her that everyone makes mistakes when it comes to people they care about, and that its damn time she forgave him for his," Julia explains with a huff. "I just hope she listens to me."

At this Jay smiles and closes the scant distance between them. "She will if she's got any brains in her head."

Julia smiles at her boyfriend and kisses his cheek. "You charmer."

There is a knock at the door. The guests have arrived. Without waiting for a reply the knob turns and a wave of friends enter the small spaces. Mildred and Sheila enter first, waving 'hello' to Julia and Jay before pouring themselves a glass of punch each. Everyone else follows; Marv going to the bookshelf, Gertrude to the nice armchair in the corner, while Madge and Edwin congregate near the fireplace. Frank, unsurprisingly, is not in attendance.

With all of the people to entertain Julia has to push her family drama to the back burner for now, but quietly asks Jay to remind her to give her grandson a call in the morning.

* * *

Dean smiles as he walk into Oak Park, waving at Claire behind the front desk. She returns it sarcastically and pulls what Dean guesses is her phone out from under the counter. He rolls his eyes. One day, he swears he'll get the surly teen to smile. If only because she's too young to get wrinkles.

He sneaks behind the front desk into the staff room. Inside he shucks off his leather jacket and throws it into his locker, leaving him in just his dark blue scrubs. He clips his I.D. card to his chest pocket. Once his stuff is locked away he clocks in and goes to find Jo. The younger nurse is probably itching to go home after her shift. Though, really, Jo's lucky she doesn't have to pull more of the night shifts. Meg, bless her soul, seems to actually enjoy them, so Jo's stuck mostly with the early mornings. Dean wishes his first months were more like that. 

Dean makes his way back into the residents space, knowing Jo has to be somewhere close. He finds her in the recreation room, playing pool with Jay.

"Harvelle!" Dean calls with a hand cupped around his mouth.

Jo turns with a tired smile on her face. Her scrubs are a light, mossy green and her blonde hair is pulled into a simple braid. "'Bout time Winchester!"

Dean looks from Jo's relieved demeanor to Jay's smirk and chuckles. "Jay cleanin' you out again? I've told you not to play him." Dean says sagely. "The old man cheats," he adds with a wink at the old man in question.

"You watch your tone, kid," Jay says, but he's smiling. "I better go check on Julia anyway. Family stuff. Miss Harvelle it was lovely as always."

Jay ambles off to his girlfriends room and Dean joins Jo at the pool table. "How was the morning?" He asks as puts the cues back in their holders.

"Oh, fine. Boring. I mostly just texted Vic. He was on the early shift too," Jo explains, her face lighting up at the mention of her boyfriend.

"Match made in heaven," Dean says with a fake swoon and fluttering eyelashes.

Jo sways at him playfully and tells him to 'shove it' before telling him to have a good day, and bouncing off to the break room.

Dean looks around Oak Park. He's been working at the home for six year now, ever since he finished nursing school, and he sometimes can't believe how happy he is. The retirement home is small, one of the smallest in Lebanon, and only has ten suites. Only eight are full at the moment, but that's okay. The residents they have now have been here for a while, some since before Dean was hired, and they're all friends. They all like Dean too, and he likes them. He sees Mildred and Sheila over by the fireplace, each with knitting projects in hand.

"How are my favorite girls?" Dean asks as he sits down on the coffee table across from them.

Mildred sets down her project and looks at the nurse. "Dean. How are you sweetie?"

"You know me. Happy now that I'm here," Dean tells her.

"I heard from Jo that you had a date last night. Did that go well?" Mildred asks as she resumes her knitting.

Dean groans and mentally curses Jo. He never should of told her about his plans to get drinks with Aaron. He and Aaron are friends, and they have a good working relationship. It seemed normal for them to try and take it one step further. Too bad it was a bust. No spark. Thankfully Aaron agreed. "It wasn't bad. Probably won't be a second though."

"That's too bad, honey," Mildred says with a pat on his knee. "Maybe the next one will be a keeper."

"Maybe," Dean replies. "I better go make my rounds. You ladies holler if you need anything."

Mildred says she will while Sheila just nods.

Dean makes his way around the home, checking up on the residents. Madge and Edwin are, unsurprisingly, by the out of season, plastic Christmas tree sipping hot cocoa. He checks on Gertrude in her room, who is fine if a little more flirtatious than normal. She mentions in a off-hand-but-totally-intentional way that Bela is visiting soon. Dean wonders when the older woman will stop trying to pawn her granddaughter off on Dean. Sure, Bela's a fox, but bitch isn't really Dean's type.

At Frank's room Dean just knocks, two slow raps then two quick ones. He waits patiently for the man's reply. Three quick, one slow, two quick reply. Frank's fine. The old kook is a little, well kooky, but harmless as far as Dean can tell.

Finally he gets to Julia's room. He figures Jay is inside, and he can kill two birds with one stone. The door is open a crack but he still knocks politely, waiting for someone to invite him in.

"Come on in, dear," he hears Julia call from inside. He pushes the door open the rest of the way to find Julia and Jay sitting on her little love seat, watching Criss Angel Mindfreak on the little television.

"What are you watching this for? This guys a douchebag," Dean says without thinking.

"Watch your language," Julia scolds halfheartedly.

"He is right though, honey," Jay add softly.

All three of them laugh, before Dean remembers his business "You both good? Anything I can get for you?"

Julia frowns, but shakes her head. "Don't you worry about me, dear."

"Are you okay?" Dean asks the older woman as he takes a seat at one of her overstuffed armchairs.

Julia smiles, while Jay puts a comforting arm around her shoulder. "Just a little family drama. Nothing I can't handle."

"Okay. You just let me know if that changes, you hear?" Dean tells her. Of all the residents Julia and Jay are a couple of his favorites. They're like family, and he would do anything to make them feel better.

Julia nods and leans forward to sweep a piece of hair off his forehead. "You have such a big heart, you know that?"

Dean blushes, not used to this type of affection from someone that isn't his mother. "Uh, yeah. I guess I'll leave you two to your show."

Julia and Jay bid him farewell as he backs out of the room and closes the door with a quiet click. With his rounds over, he figures he'll see how Benny and Andrea are doing in the kitchens. The southern husband and wife duo have worked at Oak Park just as long as Dean, and their always good for some conversation. With a jump in his step he turns the corner, hoping that Benny's jambalaya is on the menu.

* * *

Dean spends his afternoon helping in the kitchens, checking on the residents, and playing color switch on his phone. Around three Eileen shows up for her shift cleaning the rooms, and Dean talks with her in slow sign language. He knows he doesn't have to, but he figures if she went through the trouble of learning how to read lips, he can do the same and learn ASL.

It's nearly dinner time when Dean figures he should do another set of rounds. He leaves the break room where he was checking his phone and walks past the front desk just as the front door swings open. Since Claire is nowhere to be found, Dean figures it's his duty to welcome the newcomer.

"Welcome to Oak Park," he says without looking as he leans over the desk to try and grab the sign in sheet. "How can I help you?"

Dean straightens just in time to see a set of blue eyes jump up to meet his own. If Dean didn't know any better he'd say the guy was just checking out his ass. He blushes, because damn, he'd let this guy check him out any day. He had dark hair, mused and crazy, and a chin covered in scruff. His lips are chapped and pink and smiling. Without meaning to Dean looks down to his t-shirt covered chest, leather jacket, and ripped jeans. He has biker boots on his feet and a helmet under his arm.

Finally Dean snaps his eyes up to the guys face, where he is full on smirking at Dean's not-so-hidden elevator eyes. "I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of Julia Wilkinson's room?" The guy asks in a voice so deep it's like the Mariana Trench.

Dean feels a flare of protectiveness push through the less than wholesome thoughts in his brain and he asks, "How do you know Julia?"

The guy smiles a smile that's all gums and teeth, and chuckles. "She's my grandmother. She called me earlier today and asked me to come to dinner."

Oh. "Oh," Dean says. "Uh, sure, man. Right this way."

Dean leads the guy through the home, catching the eyes of the other residents. They all look curious, which Dean completely understands. He'd be curious too, if he didn't know who the guy was.

Finally he makes it to Julia's room. He knocks softly, and barely a moment passes before the door is opened, revealing Julia's smiling face. "Castiel!" She says in greeting before pulling her grandson into a tight hug. Castiel takes it, even though he towers over the older woman. When they pull apart, Dean can see tears in Julia's eyes. "I'm so glad you came," she tells the guy, Castiel, as she wipes at her cheeks.

Dean suddenly feels like he's intruding, so he clears his throat, drawing both their attentions to him. "I've gotta go do my rounds," he says. "I'll see you both at dinner. Nice to meet you, Castiel."

The other guy just ducks his head and lets himself get pulled into his grandmother's room. Dean looks at the door for a moment, kinda wanting to be a fly on the wall in there but knows he actually has things to do. So he puts the two Wilkinson's out of his mind and forces himself to get back to work.


	2. Chapter 2

Dean slips into the dining hall right at the last moment before dinner time. It’s not like he was ignoring the room, _he wasn’t_ , it’s just that he had other things to do. Elsewhere. But he can’t put it off any longer. The residents like to have the whole family present for dinners, and that family includes Dean (or whichever nurse is on duty).

He takes in the whole room with a sweep of his eyes. Madge and Edwin at one end, with Marv reading his book and Gertrude beside them. In the center of the table is Mildred. She gives Dean a smile, which he returns. The old lady really know how to charm, that’s for sure. Next to Mildred is Sheila, though surprisingly Castiel is beside her. Sheila is a generally quiet women, but she is all smiles for the dark haired man. 

He’s taking in stride, if looking a little uncomfortable. Dean watches as he shoots an urgent look at his grandmother, who is too busy giggling with Jay to be much help. Dean figures it’s his duty, as a nurse, obviously, to help the guy out. 

“Who’s your new beau, Sheila? Replacin’ me?” Dean asks as he approaches the table opposite Castiel. 

“Oh! Dean, dear, this young man look just like my third husband,” Sheila coos as the runs her fingers through the hair behind Castiel’s ear. “You are so pretty, Charles.”

“Castiel, why don’t you help me get the food and dish up?” Dean asks, emphasizing his name just enough for Sheila to remove her hand. 

The dark haired man clears his throat awkwardly and stands. “Uhm, yes. Alright.”

He is just a pace away when Sheila snakes a hand out and smacks him right on the ass. Dean’s able to stifle a laugh, though just barely. Julia’s not so lucky, and has to quickly cover her grinning mouth with a hand. 

Dean watches in glee as Castiel blushes a pretty pink and scoots around the other guests before ducking behind Dean. “Food?” He asks with a hopeful look at the kitchen door. 

“Follow me, man.” Dean leads him to the kitchen, where thankfully Andrea and Benny had already laid out the food. Fresh hushpuppies with real corn kernels and jalapeño peppers, red beans and rice, green salad, and Benny’s special jambalaya (thank God Dean got their early enough to request it). “That man outdoes himself.”

“This looks delicious,” Castiel remarks as he picks up a hushpuppy and pops it in his mouth. It’s too hot, and Castiel does that thing where he tries to breath and eat at the same time. “’S Hot,” he adds. The whole thing should not be as cute as it is. 

“Wait till you try the pie,” Dean says. “I made it myself!”

Castiel manages to swallow (Dean has to literally drag his mind away from the gutter) and grins. “I’ll make sure to save room.”

“Where's the damn food!” The cranky voice of Frank calls from the other room. “I didn’t leave my room to starve to death in this damn chair!”

“Frank,” Dean says to the other man. “We bring him most of his meals, but we make him swear to join us for dinner at least once a week. We’re gettin’ it, old man!” He calls the last sentence back to the dining room to a chorus of ‘We’re not old!’ 

Him and Castiel each grab a large serving plate and carry them out to the residents. He tells Castiel to just set it on the table, which the other man does, before doing the same with his own plate. Dean circles the table to make sure each resident gets enough food, and something to drink, only once he's sure they’re set does he sit down. 

Conversation flows easily. Dean jokes with Jay, and watches as Julia babies Castiel. Mildred and Sheila were chatting amicably to Frank, who is shoveling food in his mouth while looking around the room with shifty eyes. Gertrude is drinking from a bottle of wine, getting just a little bit tiddly.

At the end of dinner Dean clears their plates, accepting compliments on his pies (like always, though it still makes him proud), and takes them all into the kitchen. He knows it goes beyond his duty as a nurse, but he’s glad to do it. Most of the nurses at Oak Park are willing to do more than their fair share for the residents. He gives them a quick rinse before shoving them halfheartedly into the dishwasher. He’s about to push through the door back into the dining room when he hears Julia’s sweet voice. 

“Are you doing okay? You’ve met with that woman? What’s her name again?” She says. 

“Jody. Yes, I’ve met with her. She assures me I should be fine, as long as I do as I’m supposed to,” Castiel says in reply. “Don’t worry about me, Grandma.”

“That's what I do, honey,” Julia replies. Then she adds, a little quieter so Dean has to strain to hear, “have you spoken to your sister?”

Dean hears as Castiel scoffs. “Anna wants nothing to do with me.” There’s a shuffle, and a scraping sound. Dean assumes Castiel just collapsed in one of the wooden chairs. 

Julia stays quiet, and Dean realizes he’s heard way more than he was supposed to. Shame covers him like from a bucket of water. He knows that some of the staff gets off on knowing the personal lives of the residents, like Weber the other housekeeper, but he’s never been one of them. Dean has the trust of the residents because he cares. With determination he backs away from the door, and goes the back way to the living room. 

Dean checks his watch; only another hour left in his shift. He kills the time doing one final check around the whole home, making sure everyone is starting to get settled for the night. He’s just near the front doors when they swing open and Meg swaggers into the home. Her scrubs are blue, like his, but her long dark hair is flowing down her back in waves. She smirks at him and gestures over her shoulder with a thumb. “Who’s bike?”

“What?” Dean asks with a frown. 

“The motorcycle? The Triumph? Serious panty dropper.” Meg slides her leather jacket off her arms and throws it over her shoulder. 

“I don’t kn…” Dean starts before a thought crosses his mind. “Oh man.” He remembers now; the wild hair, the boots, the goddamn _helmet_. 

“I’ll come visit again in a couple days,” Castiel says to Julia from a few feet away. “Thank you. For calling me.”

Julia tuts at him and pulls her grandson into another hug. She mumbles something into his chest, and Castiel nods. “I love you, dear.”

“You too, Grandma,” Castiel says as he drops a kiss to her cheek. Then he grabs his _freakin’ motorcycle helmet_ from where he had set it on the ground and tucks it under his arm. He walks past them, giving Dean a little goodbye nod before pushing past the front doors. Both Meg and Dean watch as he mounts a gorgeous black motorcycle, pulls on the helmet, and drives off. 

Dean’s brain is stuck on a loop. It is only broken when Meg utters the worst word in the whole goddamn world. “Dibs.”

“Son of a bitch!”

* * *

The first thing Dean does when he gets home is stuff his hand down his pants and jacks his dick till he comes all over his scrubs. “Fuck!” Dean groans as he wipes his hand on his shirt. “Goddamn Meg.”

Dean strips off his dirty and come covered scrubs and throws them in the washing machine. Then he grabs the rest of his clothes to clean, because why not? It isn’t until they are midway through the wash cycle that Dean realizes he’s still naked, and that he should probably go to bed. 

He takes a piss, washes his hands and splashes water on his face. Then after a quick teeth brush he slides between his sheets and gets ready to sleep. 

Only sleep doesn’t come. 

His mind is too preoccupied with Castiel and Julia and whatever shit they're going through. Yes, he knows that they're not really family, but it feels like it sometimes. How is he supposed to just sit and do nothing when one of his favorite residents deals with whatever shit she’s dealing with? Dean knows it has something to do with Anna, the pretty redhead who’s stopped by a number of times. She seems sweet, if a bit quiet. He wonders what kind of bad blood could exist between her and Castiel. They both seem pretty harmless to Dean. But, hey, what does he know?

He tosses and turns until the early hours of the morning when he finally manages to get some zzz’s. When his alarm goes off at eight, Dean is less than pleased. Still, he rolls over, and tumbles out of his bed. He takes a piss, ignoring the morning wood, and washes up for the day. He runs a razor over his face, too. His clothes are still in the wash, which he wrinkles his nose at, before starting a fresh wash cycle. 

Cleaning up his apartment keeps him occupied until the washer beeps and he can throw his clothes into the dryer. The clock at his bedside tables reads just after ten, meaning he has plenty of time to get dressed and stop by Cain’s for some breakfast before his shift. 

He dresses in a fresh pair of scrubs from his closet and makes sure he has his keys and wallet before running out the door. 

Cain’s is the only diner between his apartment and Oak Park, and thankfully is is also the best. The owner, Cain (obviously), has some of the best coffee in three counties. He’s a scary bastard, but he seems to really like Dean, so at least there’s that. He pulls up to the diner, parking in a spot near the door under some shade.

Being that it’s nearly the afternoon, Cain’s is pretty empty. Dean walks up to the counter, taking a seat in one of the red plastic chairs. He’s checking his phone, and sends a quick text off to his brother about their mom’s birthday, just as a menu is placed in front of him. “Hello, Dean.”

Dean's head shoots up, and his gaze falls on Castiel. He’s wearing a butter yellow t-shirt with the Cain’s logo (the man’s name and an innocent looking honeybee) over the left breast pocket. He has a forest green apron tied around his trim hips, and Dean feels his mouth go dry. 

“Hey, Cas,” he stumbles, realizing to late that he shortened the guys name. But he’s still smiling, so he must not mind to much. “You work here?”

Cas shrugs. “I just started a week ago. Do you come in often?”

Dean mirrors the shrug. “Yeah, man. Best coffee in…” 

“Three counties,” Castiel finishes, pointing with his pen to a sign declaring just that on the wall. “So I’ve heard.” Castiel takes the initiative to grab a cup from under the counter and top it off with the black liquid, before passing Dean a pitcher of cream and a caddy of sugars. “Do you know what you would like to eat?”

“Just whatever the special is today, thanks.” Dean watches as the other man scribbles his order down on his pad before ripping the ticket off and sticking it in that wheely thing in the window between the kitchen and the front. “So, did you just move to Lebanon?”

Castiel stiffens, just for a moment before answering with a simple, “yes.”

“How’re you likin’ it so far?” Dean asks. He doesn’t quite know why he’s trying so hard to get to know the guy, but he just is. He’s not going to think too hard on it. 

“It’s much better than the last place I lived,” Castiel tells him. 

They stand in silence, until Dean’s phone chirps with a new text message. Castiel excuses himself, but not before topping off Dean’s coffee cup. Dean checks his phone, but it’s just a message from Sam, telling Dean that he’s willing to help plan a birthday dinner, which is a relief. He makes a mental reminder to call Kate and make sure she and Adam are free, too. 

Castiel returns to give Dean his breakfast, and stays to lean against the counter and chat while Dean eats. Every once and a while he glances down at a crossword puzzle and asks for answers, only one of which Dean knows. (“What’s a four letter word for gun maker?” “Colt?”)

When Dean finishes his breakfast he almost wishes he didn’t have to go into work so he could sit across from Castiel a little bit longer. The other man is magnetic, even if he is a little closed off. Dean finds he just wants to figure the guy out. And the way he fills in his t-shirt doesn't hurt. Unfortunately he does have to go to work, so he asks for the check, and slaps down a couple of twenties. Castiel smiles at him as he leaves, and all Dean can do is curse Meg and her goddamn dibs.


	3. Chapter 3

When Dean gets to Oak Park he immediately spots Aaron, wearing magenta scrubs that Dean really wants to make fun of, sitting crosslegged on top of the front desk. He’s reading a science fiction book and doesn’t seem to notice Dean at all. When Dean is close enough he knocks the book out of his hands and it flutters down to the floor. 

“What the…” Aaron says as he scrambles off the desk. 

“Eleanor will have your hide if she ever catches you up there, man,” Dean says with a smile before crouching down and picking up his friend’s book. 

Aaron takes the paperback when Dean holds it out and places it behind him on the front desk. “What Eleanor doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” he says with a smile.

Dean claps the other man on the shoulder. “You keep tellin’ yourself that.” He slips around the front desk and into the break room, throwing off his leather jacket as he goes. He stuffs it in his locker and makes sure he’s ready for his shift before walking back out. Aaron’s back on top of the counter, book in hand. “Your funeral, man. Why don’t you just head on home?”

“I will in a minute,” Aaron says as he reads until the end of his chapter, then closes his book. “So what’s this I hear about some motorcycle-riding grandson?”

Dean groans as he leans against the counter next to his friend. “Meg told you?”

Aaron laughs. “Meg. And Mildred. And Gertrude. And Sheila. Especially Sheila. This guy made quite the impression.” 

Try as he might, Dean cannot stop his cheeks from coloring. Because, dammit, the guy did make an impression, and not just on the old biddies. 

“Not you too!” Aaron cries in shock as he hits Dean in the shoulder with his book. 

“Sorry,” Dean tells him unapologetically. “You didn’t see the guy. Plus he seemed nice.”

“Well I guess I’ll have to see the guy,” Aaron says lightly as he hops off the table and gathers his book. He reaches over the counter and grabs his sweatshirt that was draped over one of the office chairs. He pulls it over his head and jingles the front pocket to make sure his keys are still inside. “Have a good shift, Dean.” With one last smile and a wave, Aaron leaves the home and Dean can just make out the sound of his shitty Honda starting up. 

Dean does his first rounds. Thankfully everyone is in good spirits. Dean spends longer than normal in Julia’s room. He waits until an ample time to mention her grandson, but the opportunity doesn’t present itself. Then Dean feels like an ass for caring more about Castiel than his residents, and does another longer, more thorough check in. 

Things progress like any normal day after that. Dean bounces from room to room, making sure things run smoothly. When he can he checks his phone, shooting off texts to Sam, and making a short phone call to Kate. She seems excited to join his mother’s birthday celebration, and promises to make her famous potato salad. When dinner passes with little fanfare, Dean is both relieved and disappointed. But he refuses to dwell on it, and instead chats with Meg when she gets in for her shift. He does, however, keep Castiel’s job at Cain’s to himself. 

* * *

Dean’s next shift is his one early morning shift; from four in the morning until noon. He hates it, almost more than the swing, but it has to be done by someone. So as soon as he gets home he shoves leftover pasta in his gullet, sets his alarm, and makes himself pass out. When his alarm goes off at three the next morning he is less than happy about it. Still he puts his game face on and drives over to the home. 

He uses his key-card to get inside, and finds Meg reading a magazine curled up in one of the arm chairs. She greets him before stifling a yawn with her hand. Dean quickly shoo’s her off before plopping his ass in her seat, and picking up her magazine. How she can spend her time reading about those damn Kardashians, Dean will never know. He tosses the magazine back on the coffee table and pulls out his phone instead. He busies himself with games until six, when the first of the residents start to amble out of their rooms. 

By seven everyone is awake and Hael, one of the girls who helps in the kitchen, is making coffee and hot chocolate for everyone. Dean helps her by setting out fruit and pastries from a local bakery for breakfast while she scrambles up eggs and tosses some strips of turkey bacon in the oven. 

It doesn’t take long for breakfast to be devoured, after which Dean helps put away the dishes again. Hael thanks him by making a fresh pot of coffee, which he takes happily. 

All in all, the shift is a snooze fest. It's why Dean hates this shift, nothing interesting happens before noon. 

Dean should have knocked on wood, because at exactly eleven o’clock the doors swing open, and Anna steps in. 

Julia’s granddaughter has always been nice and unassuming. She was never boring, but never seemed to be that full of life, either. 

That woman seems entirely different from the red-haired storm cloud that stomps into Oak Park and towards room 7. Dean follows her there, if just to make sure that she doesn’t mean to cause anybody harm. 

Dean gets to Julia’s door just in time to hear Anna’s raised voiced through the door. “I can’t believe him!”

“Anna, dear,” Julia says calmly. Dean’s fist is poised to knock, but he doesn’t. Instead he takes a step closer and listens, if just for a bit longer. He’s a terrible person, he knows, but he’ll give himself Hell for it later. 

“No! He fucked up and then has the nerve to call _me._ He ruined my life.” Anna seems more angry than sad, and Dean feels his heart go out for her a little bit. 

There is a rustling, and Dean would bet Julia is coaxing the young woman to sit down. “I know you were upset with him. But you have to remember that he was trying to look out for you.” It’s quiet until Julia goes on. “Your brother loves you, Anna.”

“Yeah, but he…" Anna starts before she is interrupted. 

“He did what he did because he thought he had to. He was afraid for you, we all were.” Julia says the words calmly, and Dean forces himself to walk away. That was more than he was ready to hear. Some part of him thought he would hear the story, and be satisfied with that. But it seems all Dean gets is one piece of the puzzle at a time and each piece makes him want to see the picture on the box that much more. 

When his shift is over Dean shares a few words with Aaron before climbing into the Impala and driving away from Oak Park. He doesn’t realize where he’s going until he pulls into the parking lot of Cain’s. 

Dean sits in his car for a full minute before he concedes. He’s already here, and what would be the harm of going in for a slice of pie? When he pushes the door open he is greeted almost immediately by the smell of fresh coffee and spices. He takes a spot at the counter (the same spot as last time, but that’s just a coincidence) and taps his fingers on the laminate top. 

He startles when a mug is placed in front of him and coffee is poured into it. Dean looks up to see Cas smiling at him as he puts the coffee pot away before grabbing cream and sugar. “Hello, Dean. You getting done or going in?” He asks as he gestures to Dean’s scrubs. 

“All done for today,” Dean says. He takes a sip of the coffee and relishes the perfect combination of bitter and smooth on his tongue. “What about you?”

Cas glances at the clock quickly. “Just about done, actually. April should be in any moment to relieve me.”

Dean nods and takes another sip. Castiel hands him over a menu but has to go tend to another customer before Dean has a chance to order. There’s a tinkling sound as the door opens and Dean turns to see a redhead in a Cain’s t-shirt step inside. She walks behind the counter quickly and Dean watches, amused, as she fixes her hair and pulls down her shirt just a bit before Castiel turns to greet her. 

They communicate briefly about the customers then Castiel is approaching Dean. “Looks like I’m all done. Do you need anything before I leave?” 

Then, because apparently Dean as no control over himself, he asks, “why don’t you sit and share a piece of pie with me?”

Cas seems taken aback, but he recovers speedily. He nods in acceptance, cuts them a hearty piece of pecan pie, and sets it in front of Dean. Then he is untying his apron and stuffing it into a cubby under the counter and making his way around it to sit next to Dean. 

Now that they are sitting beside each other, Dean realizes he doesn’t know what to say. He knows a little about the guy, but most of that has come from eavesdropping, something Dean doesn’t want to admit. The clock ticks above them and the silence continues, not quite uncomfortably. 

“So, Cas,” Dean says finally just as Castiel says, “So, Dean.”

They laugh and Dean motions with his fork. “You go first.”

Cas sets down his own fork and turns just slightly in his seat. “I was just going to ask how you like working at Oak Park? It seems like a nice place. My grandma seems to like it enough.”

“I love it, man. Best job I’ve ever had," Dean answers honestly. “I’ve been there six years now? Doubt I’ll ever leave.” 

Castiel seems pleased and continue to ask Dean questions about the home and the residents. Before Dean realizes it, an hour has past, and it doesn’t seem like their conversation is ending anytime soon. 

Dean's telling Cas about his fellow nurses and says, without thinking, “Meg has this nasty habit of calling dibs on everything. You know? Food, magazines, women, men. Even you. ’S annoying.”

He doesn’t realize what exactly he said until Cas is turned completely in his seat to face Dean and asking, “she called dibs on me?”

Dean knows he’s flushing, and he curses his fair complexion. He tries to think of a way to back peddle, fast, but nothing comes. He grabs for his coffee to drain, if only to buy himself a little more time, but his mug is empty. Damn. 

“Uh,” he finally manages to say. “Yeah. She, uh, you know. Did do that.” 

There was a time in life where Dean thought he was smooth. Obviously that time is not now. 

Cas cocks his head. “Well, that’s a shame.”

“Huh?” Dean says.

“For her, I mean,” Castiel clarifies. “Because I don’t date women.”

Dean’s glad, now, that he doesn't have coffee to drink, cause he would have definitely done a spit take at that. Castiel is grinning, no doubt, at his dumbfounded look. “Don’t look at me like that,” Dean says as he picks the remaining bite of pie and shoves it into his mouth. 

“I've surprised you,” Castiel says. 

“Nah! No, not at all,” Dean replies as soon as he swallows his bite. 

Cas opens his mouth, as though to reply, but he gets cut off by the ringing of an alarm. A lightbulb goes off in his eyes and he glances up a the clock before swearing. “Damn. I’ve got to go. Thank you for letting me share you’re pie,” he says with a beaming smile. He stands and runs back behind the counter to grab his helmet from where he’s stashed it. “Are you working tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” Dean tells him. 

“You should come in for breakfast before,” Castiel says. “I enjoy your company, Dean.”

“Me too, man,” Dean says in reply. “I’ll try and stop by.”

Castiel grins before saying a goodbye and running out the door. Dean flags down April when he passes and asks for the bill. The waitress nods and brings the paper over to Dean. He gives her some bills, telling her to keep the change, and makes his way outside. The sun is out, smiling down at him. Dean knows he has a big smile on his face as he drives home, but he can't really help it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've read any of my other works, you'll know I love me some Flustered!Dean. Who's with me?


	4. Chapter 4

When Dean gets back to his apartment he gets a surprise in the form of his mother cooking a pie in his kitchen. Mary is dressed in a yellow, cotton sundress with Dean’s dirty ‘Grill Sergeant’ apron. It had been a gag-gift from Sam a couple of years earlier and Dean pretended to hate it, but still brings it out whenever he has the chance. 

As soon as Dean closes his front door Mary is turning and greeting her son. “Dean! How was work?” She walks to him carefully, mindful of her flour covered hands, and gives him kiss on his cheek. “I thought you got off at noon?”

Dean knows it’s nearing one thirty, and instantly feels bad that he made his mom wait, even if he didn’t know it. “It was fine. And I stopped by Cain’s on my way home and ran into a friend.” 

Mary nods her understanding as she leads Dean back into the kitchen where her project is waiting. Dean can tell immediately that she is making an apple pie, one of his favorites. He reaches over the dough she was working and snags one of the cut up apples. Their mixed up with sugar and spices, just the way he likes them. He takes a second slice, then a third, before Mary see’s what he’s doing and smacks the back of his hand with her flour covered one. “Watch it, mister, or there won’t be any filling for later.” 

“Sorry,” Dean says. “What are you doing there anyway? Not that I don’t love to see you, or anything.”

Mary laughs as she dumps the mixed dough into a ziplock bag, where he shapes it into a flat, round shape before putting it in the refrigerator to chill. “I heard from a little birdie that someone is trying to plan me a birthday party.” Dean groans, which only makes his mother laugh harder. “You know you can’t trust Kate with secrets.”

She’s right, obviously. Dean’s step-mom has always been the blabbermouth of the family. Every year Dean tries to give her a chance, always with the same outcome. “Well now you know,” Dean says. He gently pushes his mom out to the living room and sits down on the couch, toeing off his shoes once he’s situated. 

“You know I would have found out eventually,” Mary says as she sits down next to him. She’s still wearing the apron, which Dean finds endearing. It still has a stain from the last time Dean made burgers, but now there is a flour mark right next to it. “Any plans?”

“Not really. Maybe a barbecue at the park?” He suggests. It was his first thought, but one he was almost sure his mom would enjoy. 

Mary reaches for his hands and cradle them between her own. “That sounds lovely, Dean. Are you inviting anyone special?”

The way she said it send warning bells off in his head, but Dean ignored them. “Just the usual suspects. Me, Sammy, Kate, Adam, Bobby, Ellen, and Jo.”

“Not your new friend from Cain’s?” Mary pressed with a motherly smirk. 

 _Don’t blush don’t blush don’t blush_. “Uh, no? Why?”

“You can’t fool me, Dean,” Mary laughs. “I heard you whistling from down the hall. You _never_ whistle.”

Dean wonders how he could possibly get out of this one. It’s all so _High School_ to talk to his mom about something as stupid as a crush. If that’s even what he has for Castiel, that is. “It’s nothing, mom, really.” Mary levels him with a stern look, and Dean feels himself cower a little. “I just met Julia Wilkinson’s grandson, is all. He’s new in town and he works at Cain’s. That’s it.”

Mary looks like she wants to say more. It was the same look she wore when Dean came home from school after meeting Cassie. It was the way she looked after he and Lisa fought before their break up. It is the classic look of a mom who knows her children are fooling themselves. “Whatever you say, honey.”

She winks at Dean ( _winks!)_ and stands. Before Dean can say anything she’s back in the kitchen and rolling out the now chilled pie dough. Instead of obsessing about it, Dean just shrugs and flips on the television. His mom’s suspicions are for another day. 

* * *

When Dean wakes the next morning, he makes himself get up like normal, instead of jumping up like he wants to. He showers, like normal. Get’s dressed, like normal. Everything is normal. He’s not going on a date, after all. He just had an invitation to eat a meal, alone, while someone who's company he enjoys works nearby. 

It’s not a big deal.

Except it sort of is. 

It’s been a while since he’s been interested in anyone. Sure, he went out for drink with Aaron, but that was a more of a maybe-it-could-work kinda thing. Plus, it ended up being a bust, so it doesn’t really count. The last person that gave him these kinds of butterflies was Ann Marie, and that was a year ago. And if Dean’s honest with himself, and he’s normally not but why not this time, those butterflies were nothing compared to the ones he’s got now. 

He wishes he could put his finger on it, but there was just something about Cas that made him want to sit him down and just talk. He seemed like the kind of guy who had stories and wisdom to pass on. He fascinates Dean. 

And the fact that he looks like some kind of GQ model definitely doesn’t hurt. 

Finally, Dean feels like he can leave for the diner and still seem like he’s totally chill about the whole thing. He drives over the the diner with the Impala’s windows rolled down. It’s starting to get warm, and the breeze is calming to Dean’s frazzled nerves. 

He pulls into the parking lot, parking in his same spot in the shade, and climbs out. As he walks to the front door he spots a beautiful black motorcycle parked against the brick building. It’s the first time Dean’s seen it, and if he was wearing panties they definitely would have dropped. The fact that he knows the guy who rides it makes it that much more alluring. 

Dean hears the crunch of gravel beside him and forces his attention away to the bike, where they land on the man of the hour. 

“When I was sixteen, my parents gave me money to buy a car,” Cas says. He lifts his hand, bringing a cigarette to his lips. He inhales and the tip glows amber. “I bought her instead. They were furious with me.”

“What happened?” Dean asks.

Castiel grins. “Grandma Julia. She showed up and told them I was as good as grown and could make my own choices, then asked if I could take her to the movies.” 

Dean can’t help but bark a laugh. It doesn’t surprise him one bit that Julia would jump at the chance to ride on a motorcycle. “That sounds like Julia.”

Castiel takes another drag of his cigarette with a nod. “She is quite remarkable.” Castiel drops the butt of his cigarette and presses it out with the tip of his boot. “I’m glad you were able to stop by, Dean.”

“Yeah, me too,” Dean says. And he means it. Cas gestures to the door, and Dean takes that as his cue to walk up the stairs and in through the front door. He can hear Castiel follow behind him. When Dean sits at the counter, Cas walks around the counter and pours a cup of coffee for Dean. 

Like the first time he saw Cas behind that counter, he’s wearing the Cain’s t-shirt and green apron. It’s a very nice look on the man, and Dean can’t help but admire the way the t-shirt stretched across his back. The muscles are all sinewy like a panther, and Dean has the strong desire to sink his teeth into them. 

He coughs, and shifts in his chair. It’s uncouth to get hard in a diner at ten-thirty in the morning. Or so he’s been told. 

“What would you like today, Dean?” Castiel asks after he checks in with a couple tables. His hair is a little messier than normal. And it’s very distracting to Dean. 

“Just the special, I think. Thanks, man,” Dean says. To be honest, he doesn’t even know what the special is, but he’s not really concerned. 

Castiel nods as he puts up Dean’s order, then picks up his crossword and leaning against the counter across from Dean. They chat, not about anything of substance, but it feels nice. Castiel has a sort of dry humor that Dean can’t help but chuckle at. He gets none of Dean’s references, but is crazy smart. 

The bell at the pass dings and Cas turns to pick up Dean’s plate. He sets it down in front of Dean with a flourish. Biscuits and gravy. Dean grins. He takes his first bite, moaning around the _fantastic_ fucking food, and he hears Cas laugh. Just once, like a cough. “Good?” He asks.

“’S awesome,” Dean answers around another bite. “My compliments to the chef,” he adds with a fake, haughty accent. 

Castiel rolls his eyes and fills up his coffee mug. They continue to chat off and on, in between crossword questions, and Castiel checking in on his other customers. Dean checks the clock, it’s only a quarter after eleven, and looks around to see the breakfast rush starting to taper off. Hopefully that means Castiel will be able to talk a little longer before Dean has to leave for his shift. 

Dean gets his wish. Just five minutes later and the dark haired man is slumping against the counter with a sigh. He runs his fingers through his hair (which explains a lot) and yawns. 

“Busy mornin’?” Dean asks. He pushed his plate to the side and wraps both hands around his still warm coffee mug. 

Cas grabs Dean’s dirty plate and puts into a bus tub under the linoleum. “Yes. I’ve never worked in the service industry before. It’s challenging.”

“I hear ya, man,” Dean says. He opens his mouth to say more, but the door dings, and both men turn to see who’s there. 

It’s a guy Dean’s never met before, but he seems friendly. He’s good looking with short dark hair, thick eye brows, and a dusting of stubble on his jaw. There’s a nervous smile on his face as he fiddles with the sleeves of his sweatshirt. Dean wonders why the guy looks so spooked, but then he realizes that the guy is looking right at him. Or, rather, behind him. 

Dean turns to see Cas looking at the guy like he’s seen a ghost. “Hani?” He asks, and his voice sounds unsure. 

“Hello, Castiel,” the guy, Hani, says shyly. “It’s good to see you.”

Castiel opens and closes his mouth like a fish. Dean watches as emotions flit across his face; hurt, fear, hope. 

For the second time in as many days Dean feels like he is watching something private. Dean knows he’s not the smartest man, but he can recognize a lovers reunion when he see’s one and he ignores how green that makes him feel. 

“I, uh, I should get out of your hair,” Dean says awkwardly just as Hani approaches the counter. The other guy doesn’t sit. He just stands there and stares at Cas. “Cas?”

Castiel shakes his head, eyes focusing on Dean. He looks conflicted. “Dean, you don’t have to go.”

“No, dude, it’s fine,” Dean says. “Looks like you two gotta lot to catch up on.”

He stands and puts some money on the counter, not bothering to wait for his check. He’s feeling all kinds of uncomfortable, and doesn’t want to make it worst sticking around. Dean backs away, shooting Cas a wave once he’s at the door. The other man returns it before focusing on his ex, or whatever. 

Dean jumps in the Impala, slamming the door behind him. Whatever good mood he had going for his is soured. He knows that Cas doesn’t owe him anything; he’s allowed to have ex’s. Hell, he can have a boyfriend. Dean doesn’t have a claim on the guy, as much as he kind of wishes he did. 

He drives straight to Oak Park, knowing full well he’s way too early, but he can’t really handle the idea of driving around to kill time. 

When he gets inside he is immediately soothed by the cream colored walls. He puts his things in his locker and collapses in one of the chairs, dropping his head onto the table. 

“Rough night?” 

Dean looks up to see Tessa leaning against the doorjamb. Her sunset orange scrubs bring out the concern in her eyes as she looks Dean over. “I’m fine, Tes.”

“You sure?” She asks. Tessa was there when Dean got hired at Oak Park, and they’ve been close since. 

“‘M sure.” Dean smiles, forcing it to be real on his face. “Promise. Wanna get out of here early?”

Tessa gives him a skeptical look, but lets it go. “Why not? Zeke’s home today. Maybe I’ll go surprise him.”

“Naughty,” Dean jokes with a saucy wink. Tessa rolls her eyes, but doesn’t deny it. 

Tessa ruffles his hair as she passes to her locker, pulling out a brown sweater. “Have a good day, Dean,” she says as she passes him again. 

Dean sits alone for another minute before realizing he’s acting like an idiot. Castiel is his friend, at least they're almost friends, and it doesn’t make sense to get upset over something that might be nothing. 

With determination he leave the break room and starts his rounds. And if he goes to Julia first, well, that’s just a coincidence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I get a *woot woot* for Hannah's male vessel?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I definitely wrote this chapter while watching New York Minute. You know? The movie where Jarad Padalecki plays the douchey son of a senator named Trey? Hilarious! There's a scene where Mary-Kate and Ashley are crowd surfing at a Simple Plan concert ( _so 2000's!_ ) and good ol' J-Pad is like a foot taller than everyone else. Classic.

Julia is reading _The Night Circus,_ a gift from Jay, when there is a knock at the door. A quick look at the clock tells Julia exactly who is at the door. She smiles as she sets the book aside. “Come in, Dean,” she says and the door swings open. Dean waves nervously, which seems out of his character in Julia’s experience, and wanders in. “Are you okay, dear?”

Dean shakes himself, and Julia watches as his shoulders and smile both loosen. “Yeah, yeah. I’m good. How are you?”

The grandmother in Julia wants to press, but she knows Dean well enough to know he’ll fold sooner rather than later. “I’m fine. How was your morning?” Dean’s cheeks flush and Julia can’t help but giggle. In all of her years staying at Oak Park she has never seen Dean flustered like this. 

“It was good,” Dean says after a moment. 

“Did you do anything _exciting_?” Julia asks, telling herself it will be the last one. If Dean doesn’t open up then she’ll let it go. 

Dean smiles, just a small tick of his lips, then forces his face into more neutral territory. “I just, uh, went to Cain’s for breakfast.” 

Julia’s never been one for young people slang, but if she was she would have screamed, ‘bingo!’ She thought she’d seen a spark between her grandson and the nurse. “Castiel works at Cain’s. Did you know?”

“Oh?” Dean says, his voice higher than normal. “I mean, yeah, actually I might have seen him there today.”

“Yeah?” Julia picks her book back up to not seem pushy. “How was he?”

“Good, good.” Dean shifts in his seat and fiddles with his Oak Park name tag. “Uh, one of his friends was there. Hani or something?”

“Ah, yes. Hani is a nice boy,” Julia says. She saw the exact moment Dean slumped in disappointment, and couldn’t leave him like that. “He and Castiel never would have worked out, though. They were too different.”

Dean perks up and looks at her with hopeful green eyes. “Really? They seemed pretty close.”

“Oh, they were,” Julia admits. “They were best friends before everything. But things have changed since then.”

Dean nods, looking much better than when he walked into Julia’s room. He smacks both of his palms on his thighs and stands. “I should get back to my rounds.”

Julia waves him off and opens her book. She can’t help but smile. Yes, Hani hadn’t been what Castiel needed, but she has a feeling that Dean is. 

* * *

Dean never stopped to notice, before, how tiring it is to actively not think about something. After his talk with Julia, Dean is filled with enough hope that he just knows he could spend his whole shift obsessing over it. But as a nurse with responsibilities, he knows that wouldn’t be smart. So instead he forces it out of his mind. 

Hence why he gets home from work and feels like crashing immediately. His plan is to strip, indulge in a little fantasy time, and sleep for at least ten hours. Unfortunately those plans are shot to smithereens by his ringing phone. Deep Purple blasts through his phones crappy speakers and Dean can’t help but groan. 

“Oh, come on!” Dean says to nobody as he unlocks it with a swipe of his fingers. “What?”

“ _Hello to you too sunshine,_ ” Sam’s voice says cheerfully. “ _What crawled up your ass tonight?_ ”

“Nothin’ man, sorry. I’m just beat,” Dean says. He slips off his sneakers and sinks into his sofa cushions. “What’s up?”

“ _I’m going over to the Roadhouse,_ ” Sam tells him. “ _And you're coming with me._ ” 

Dean groans and flops himself facedown on the couch. “Aw, come on, dude! I just told you how drained I am,” he complains, his voice muffled through the fabric. 

Sam laughs, giving no sympathy whatsoever. “ _You and I both know you can rally with the best of them,_ ” Sam says, and it’s not a lie. “ _Get dressed. I’ll be at your place in five._ ”

Then he hangs up. “Bitch,” Dean yells into his phone, hoping his brother will hear him somehow. Knowing he has no other choice, Dean rolls off the couch and strips off his clothes as he walks to his bedroom. Thankfully his wardrobe is simple enough that it takes him little to no effort to slip on a pair of jeans and a faded AC/DC t-shirt. He’s just slipping his feet into a pair of work boots when he hears the tinkling of keys in his door. “Does everybody have a key to my place now, or what?” Dean calls as he stomps out of his room to find his brother already buried in his fridge. “Is nothing sacred?”

Sam pops his head up and grins, handing his older brother a beer. “I thought we were goin’ to the roadhouse?” Dean asks, even as he pops open the brown bottle. 

“We are, just figured you’d need a little encouragement,” Sam says. He closes the fridge door, forgoing a beer for himself, and leans against the counter. 

Dean takes one sip, then another, then drains the full thing. The sooner they have a couple drinks, the sooner he can get home to his own bed. He tosses the empty bottle into the recycling bin and Sam smacks him on the shoulder with a giant palm. “That’s the spirit.” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Dean grumbles. “Let’s get out of here.” 

Sam drives them to the Roadhouse in his douchey-ass Charger, parking near the back of the lot. The two brothers walk together into the bar, spotting Ava behind the bar, flirting with a guy wearing a sleazy grin and a grey suit. She notices them, and grins, before turning right back to the guy. 

Dean shakes his head and grabs a booth while Sam goes to get them drinks. He entertains himself with his phone while he waits for his brother. Most nights he’d be scoping the bar out for possible prospects for a little tryst, but he’s not really feeling up to it tonight. 

When Sam gets back to the booth he passes Dean a pint and slides into the booth opposite. He clinks his drink with Dean’s and downs a hearty swallow. “So,” he says, “what’s up?”

Dean takes a sip of his drink and stares at his brother. Dean’s known Sam for his entire twenty-four years of life. He could read the kid like a book, and he’s acting shifty. Under his gaze Sam shrinks, just a bit, and looks around the bar. Dean continues to stare, until a lightbulb goes off. “Oh, crap. Mom got to you.”

If Sam’s wide eyes and red ears are anything to go by, Dean nailed it on the head. “Uh, no. I mean, what are you talking about?”

“Dammit, Sam, what did she tell you?” Dean asks. He should have stayed home, he knows that now. He could have already had a nice orgasm and be cozy in his bed by now. 

“Nothing!” Sam swears. “Well, she may have mentioned that you were acting squirrelly when she saw you.”

“I doubt mom said 'squirrelly,'” Dean grumbles into his pint glass. 

“That’s not the point, Dean,” Sam says. His face morphs into something more serious and he pushes his glass off to the side. “The point is,” he pauses then his face breaks into a huge grin. “What’s her name?” Dean just glares. “His name?”

“Jesus,” Dean groans. “There’s nobody. I swear.”

Now it’s Sam’s turn to study his brother, and Dean does not like the look on his face. “But do you want there to be?”

Dean opens his mouth, wants to deny it, but something about Sam’s hopeful face makes him pause. He wonders what would be so bad about opening up. Surely, Sam wouldn’t judge. Hell, maybe he’ll have some sage advice. On the other hand, his little brother can be a little shit, and Dean doesn’t want to deal with one of his feeling talks. 

There’s a lull in the music and Dean hears a rumble outside, and somehow he just knows that his night is going to get a lot more interesting. Where they're sitting, Sam’s back is to the door, so Dean is the first one to see Castiel push open the front door. His hair is wild, and he’s wearing his leather jacket, that looks sinful in the Roadhouse’s low lighting. Dean watches as his eyes bounce around the room before landing on Dean. Even from the distance Dean can see the shock in the other man’s eyes.

“Dean? Dean!” Sam says, snapping his fingers in front of Dean’s face. When Dean looks at his face he can tell Sam was probably trying to get his attention for a while. “You with me?”

“Yeah, man, sorry,” Dean says, snapping his eyes back to meet Sam’s. He crosses his fingers that Sam will let his lapse in concentration drop, but no such luck. 

“What’re you looking at, anyway?” Sam asks as he shifts in his seat. Dean looks with him, but thankfully Castiel has drifted into the sea of people at the bar.

“I just thought I saw someone,” Dean says. “It was nothing.”

Sam seems to take him at his word, shrugging and going back to his beer. Dean realizes he’s out of danger, and relaxes in his seat. He and Sam sit and drink their beers in silence, only saying a word or two to each other every minute or so. When they finish their drinks Dean offers to get their replacements. 

The bar is busier than when they arrived, and Dean has to circle the bar twice looking for an opening. He finally makes himself a spot and waits for Ava to make her way to his side of the bar. He doesn’t realize who is beside him until a gravely voice says, “Hello, Dean.”

Dean jumps in his skin and spin, clutching at his collar as if it was a set of pearls. Castiel chuckles into his glass of whisky (Dean would guess judging by the color) before taking a sip. “Hey, Cas,” Dean says as he taps his fingers on the bar top. “Uh, how are ya?”

“I’m well, thank you.” Castiel finishes his drink, and waits until Ava looks over to gesture for another one and also towards Dean. The bartender nods her understanding, skipping over to them. She pours Castiel another Buffalo Trace and hands Dear two beers. 

“You wanna come join us for a drink?” Dean asks before he can stop himself. 

Castiel back towards their booth before replying. “I’d hate to intrude on your date,” he says evenly, and Dean can’t hold back his laugh. 

“Ew, no,” he says between giggles. “That’s my brother, dude.” 

Dean watches as Castiel flushes. “Oh. My apologies. Though I would hate to intrude on you and your bother just the same.”

“Are you sure?” Dean asks. He doesn’t quite know why he’s trying to hard to get Sam and Castiel at the same table; that’s just asking for trouble. 

“I’m positive. But thanks for the invitation,” Castiel says politely as he takes another sip of his drink. “I won’t be here long anyway. It’ll be a waste of a drink.”

Dean’s just buzzed enough that it makes sense for him to add, “maybe some other time then.”

The full force of what he’s said hits him like a freight train and he freezes. He is preparing himself for backlash or a rejection so he’s shocked out of his trance when he hears Castiel’s reply. “I would enjoy that, Dean. Can I see your phone?”

Dean hands over the device but it’s handed right back to him so he can unlock it. He does so quickly before giving it back so Castiel can enter in his information. He grins when he puts the phone back in Dean’s hand. 

“Uh, sweet. I’ll see you around, Cas.” Dean fumbles with his phone, drops it, picks it back up again, and backs away. He gets a few feet from the bar when he realizes he forgot his beer, and has to go back. “Okay. Have a nice night.”

Castiel laughs at Dean’s antics. “You as well, Dean.”

When Dean finally makes it back to his and Sam’s booth, his brother is looking around aimlessly. He see’s Dean and raises a brow. “What took so long?”

Dean takes a second to weigh the pros and cons of telling his brother about Castiel. In the end he just shrugs and sets down their drinks. “It was busy, man. Sorry.” He’ll tell his brother eventually. His mom, too. But for now Castiel is just for him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks so much for all your support! It means so much to me.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little longer chapter for you guys!

Unfortunately for Dean, the days after his night at the Roadhouse are too busy for him to think about calling Castiel. Someone at Oak Park had starting stealing from residents. It started small, petty cash and the like, but last night Sheila said her diamonds were missing. The thefts put every staff member on high alert, Dean very much included. He has been going in early and staying late, trying to keep his eyes on everyone. 

By the time the weekend comes around, Dean is no closer to figuring out who has the sticky fingers, and it leaves him frustrated. Nobody messes with his residents and gets away with it. 

But today isn't the day to obsess about it. 

It’s his mother’s birthday, and he has a barbecue to get to. He and Sam are meeting at the part early to set up, around noon, while the other guests are set to join them closer to one. Though, knowing his mom, she’ll probably show up early and try to help. Thankfully, Dean thinks of everything, and has employed Kate and Adam to make sure Mary stays occupied. 

Dean dresses in a light, threadbare pair of jeans and a light gray t-shirt. He forgoes an over-shirt, considering the summer heat they’ve been cursed with, and even slips on a pair of flip-flops instead of his usual boots. 

It’s still just barely eleven, but Dean needs to stop by the bakery to pick up his pies and the florist for a bouquet before he gets to the park. He pats down his jeans checking for his phone, keys, and wallet (“P.K.W!” Sam always says), before he grabs the reusable grocery bags that are practically overflowing with the fixing for burgers and hot dogs. 

At the bakery Dean picks up the three pies he ordered, resisting the urge to stop and buy an extra slice of the Pear Cherry one in the display case, then he makes his final pitstop at the florist. The young girl behind the counter is arguing with another woman; she’s older and her posture just screams ‘exasperated mother.’ 

“You’ve gotta stop checking up on me, _Jody_ ,” the girl is saying. And ouch, even at his most teenage-angstiest he never would have called any of his parents by their first name. “This is my _work_.” 

“Well excuse me for caring, Alex,” Jody replies. 

“I’m _fine_.” Alex rolls her eyes and places her hands on her cocked hips. “Don’t you have other people to babysit?” 

Even from five feet away Dean hears the exasperated sigh that Jody heaves. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

Dean catches the woman’s eye when she turns and gives her a kind smile. She returns it, but still seems stressed when she passes by Dean and back out the front door. He crosses the few feet to the counter and taps on it with his fingertips. “You should give your mom a break.”

“Foster mom. There’s a difference,” Alex says stiffly. “She cares, a hell of a lot, about everyone. It can just be a bit much sometime.” Alex clears her throat and straightens up, where she had slumped against the counter. “But, uhh, what can I get you?”

Dean isn't picky, and points to a simple bouquet behind the counter. He doesn’t know what’s in them, but they’re bright and colorful. “That one?”

“Dahlias, nice. That’ll be $17.99,” Alex says. While Dean pulls out his wallet, the young florist places the flowers, vase and all, into a cardboard box lined in bright green tissue paper. Dean slides her a twenty, and takes back the two bills and a penny. 

“Thanks,” Dean tells her. He tucks the box under his arm, and gives the girl a wave with his free hand. He pushes himself out the front door, checking his watch as he goes. He’s right on time, which makes him grin. 

The drive to the park is quick and pleasant. He rolls down the windows and enjoys the breeze on his face while the smell of pie gets blown around the car. 

When he gets to the car he see’s Bones before he see’s his brother. The excitable golden retriever is bouncing up and down on top of one of the picnic tables. As soon as the dog spots Dean he barks once, and Sam’s head pops up from underneath the table. 

“Hey! Dean!” Sam calls as he tries, and fails, to calm down his dog. “Bones, stay!”

Bones complies, somewhat, enough so Sam can jog to the impala and help Dean unload his good. Together they tote the food and flowers over to the table. It takes both of them to shoo Bones off the top, and only then do they lay out the red and white checkered vinyl table cloth. 

Sam sets up a bluetooth speaker, which Dean commandeers almost instantly. Once AC/DC is playing loud enough for the whole park to take notice, the brothers get to setting things up. There’s a barbecue set into the ground near their copse of trees, and Dean uses charcoal briquette’s and too much lighter fluid to get it started. 

The first of the guests arrive just as they finishes setting everything up, and it’s honestly no surprise that it’s their mother, trailed by Kate and Adam. “My boys!”

Both brother rush to their mother, Sam hugging her around the ribs and lifting her, while Dean wraps his arms around her waist. Between the two brothers they lift her nearly over their shoulders while their mother laughs. 

They place her safely back on the ground and Mary wipes happy tears off her face. “Happy birthday, Mom,” the two brothers chorus. Mary waves them off, and drops down to say hi to the dog resting on the grass. 

Dean walks over to his step-mom and gives her a less exuberant, but no less loving hug while Sam ruffles their half-brother’s hair. “Hey, Kate. Thanks for distracting her while you could.”

“It was the least I could do for ruining the surprise,” Kate says guiltily. “Sorry about that, by the way.” 

Dean shrugs, but grins when Sam and Adam slide up to his side. “Hey squirt!” Dean says as he wraps his arm around Adams neck. 

“Cut it out, Dean!” Adam groans. “I’m seventeen, not seven, jerk”

“Dweeb,” Dean snips back, still not releasing his little-little brother. 

“Boys!” Mary and Kate scold simultaneously. The three Winchester boys spring apart guiltily, which only intensifies their mothers’ amusement. 

Not long after that the others arrive. Bobby, and old friend of their Dad’s, arrives with his buddy Rufus. Then Ellen, the proprietress of the Roadhouse and Mary’s other best friend, shows up with her daughter in tow. Dean gives Jo a tight hug; glad that his coworker had the day off for this. 

The small group relaxes into easy camaraderie. Dean and Jo congregate around the barbecue, both trying not to talk about work, while Adam and Sam play keep away with Bones. The women are sitting on one side of the picnic table, gossiping, while Bobby and Rufus pretend to not be listening. 

Dean is sipping on a bottle of beer, when he see’s someone move across the park out of the corner of his eye. Being a naturally curious person, Dean sneaks a glance and is surprised to see Jody, the woman from the flower shop. She walks confidently towards a man who’s bent over, weeding out a flowerbed near the base of a bronze statue. Dean watches fully, now, as she taps the guy on the shoulder and he stands. Dean nearly drops his bottle when, even from the distance, he’s able to make out Castiel. 

The other man is wearing a pair of khaki shorts and a white tank-top, with his motorcycle boots on his feet and thick gardening gloves on his hands. Jody and Castiel are friendly, but professional. Castiel gestures around himself, then flags over another man. Again, Dean recognizes Hani right away. 

“Dean? Look any harder and I’m pretty sure they’d catch fire,” Jo says suddenly from beside him, shocking Dean out of his trance. 

“Huh?” Dean asks dumbly. 

Jo takes a sip of her beer then points with the bottle. “Friends of yours?”

“Kinda. Cas? The one in the shorts?” Jo looks and nods. “That’s Julia’s grandson. I’ve met him a couple of times at the home.”

“Ooh! I’ve heard about him! You should invite him over,” Jo suggests excitedly. Dean is about to object when his mother chimes in from the table. 

“You should, Dean,” she says. “The more the merrier, right?”

The whole group is look at him now, looks varying from excited to bored. “Uhh, yeah, sure.”

Without giving himself a chance to overthink it, Dean jogs across the park. He doesn’t realize he has a shadow until he hears Bones’ excited bark. The noise startles the three in front of him, and they all turn towards Dean. 

“Cas! Hey, thought that was you,” Dean says. He reaches down and grabs Bones’ collar, and pushes his butt down into a sitting position. 

“Hello, Dean,” Cas says happily, though he gives his two companions a nervous look. 

“Well, looks like things are all set here,” Jody says as she takes a step back. “I’ll see you next week, Cas?”

“Of course,” Cas tells the woman with a nod. “Thank you, Jody.”

The woman returns his nod and turns, waving at the other men over her shoulder. 

“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Dean says with a look between the two remaining men. “It’s just, uhh, we’re having a little cook out and I saw you and figured I’d invite you over.” 

“That’s very kind of you, Dean,” Cas replies. “But I still have another hour of…”

“Don’t worry about it, Castiel,” Hani cuts in. “We’re mostly done today, anyway.”

“Are you sure?” Castiel asks, sounding hopeful. 

“I’m sure,” Hani says. “I’ll mark you for a full day.”

Castiel thanks the other man and grabs a light blue short sleeve button up from where it was hooked over a hanging tree limb. Dean whistles and taps the dog with the tip of his toe, and the dog takes his hint to run back to their group. 

“He yours?” Castiel asks as he finishes buttoning up his shirt.

“Nah. He’s my brothers,” Dean explains. 

The walk back to his group is short enough that Dean doesn’t have time to obsess about the short conversation he witnessed. It is, however, long enough for him to realize that he’s about to introduce Castiel, a guy he is borderline crushing on, to his mother, who can read him like a book.

It’s almost as bad as introducing him to his brother which, “crap,” Dean whispers, is about to happen too. 

No time to take it back now. “Guys, this is Castiel. He’s a grandson of one of my residents. Cas, this is everyone.” He says as he goes through the group. “My brothers, Sam and Adam. Bobby and Rufus, there, are old friends of my dad. Jo, who’s another nurse at the home, and her mother Ellen. Then that’s my step-mom, Kate, and my mom, Mary.” Then he takes a deep breath and adds, “It’s also her birthday.”

If Castiel is intimidated by the group, he hides it well. He just waves to the group at large, then offers Mary a more private smile. “Happy Birthday, Mary. Thanks for letting Dean invite me over.”

Mary stands, and gives her eldest son a lightning fast look, before approaching Dean’s side. “It’s no problem. Any friend of Dean’s is a friend of mine. Do you like burgers? My son makes a fantastic burger.”

The gummy smile that lights up Cas’ face is nearly blinding. “I _love_ burgers.”

Dean covers up his blush by ducking his head and clapping an awkward hand on Cas’ shoulder. “I guess it’s you’re lucky day, man. Come on, folks! Time to eat!” 

The group forms a line flawlessly, if flawlessly mean pushing and shoving while each person tries to get to the front. Dean stands, protected, behind the grill while Cas stands beside him, unperturbed. “Are you going to get in on the action?” Dean asks him while he watches his family make fools of themselves. 

“I can wait,” Castiel says. “I’m a very patient man.”

Dean gulps, and clears his throat, then completely ignores his butterflies in favor of serving his family. (Though he does set aside a burger for Cas, just in case.)

By the time everyones’ plates are heaping with burgers, hot dogs, potato chips, and Kate’s famous potato salad, there are many conversations happening, and Dean's having a hard time keeping up with all of them. 

He and Castiel are sitting side by side on a plaid blanket. Bones is flopped down by Dean’s shins, with his muzzle rising on Dean’s bare ankle. Dean devours his food quickly, and moves on to the pie before anyone else. Unfortunately, that's when Cas decides to let out a moan around his burger, and Dean nearly chokes. 

The other guy wasn’t lying; he really _loved_ burgers. Nobody else seems to notice, or maybe Dean’s the only one effected. Either way, Dean’s lucky he’s sitting down where he can get his _problem_ under control without drawing too much attention to himself. When Cas finally finishes his meal he takes his time to lick the juices off of each individual finger, and Dean’s back in the upright and locked position. 

“That was fantastic, Dean,” he says. “Thank you.”

“It was, uhh, no problem, man,” Dean says, hoping Cas didn’t notice the honest to God way his voice _cracked_ half way through. “What were you doin’ here today?”

There is a pause, just barely longer than normal, before Cas answers, “volunteering.” He doesn’t elaborate, but he doesn’t seem to shut down either. Dean shrugs. It’s his business if he wants to keep secrets, even if he is damn intrigued. 

“Cool,” he says evenly, before he flops down so he is laying on his back. The sky above him is bright and blue, cloudless, and offering no reprieve from the heat. No sooner does he think about the heat, does he feel the unmistakable _thunk-pop-splash_ of a water balloon hitting him square in the chest. “Son of a bitch!” 

He’s on his feet in an instant, just in time to see Adam and Sam rear back and throw another set, hitting both him and Cas. “You’re both dead! You hear me? Dead!” His two younger brothers shriek (S _hriek!_ Like teenage girls) and dart off towards the trees. “What do you say about following me into battle, Cas?”

Cas stands, and fixes a serious look on his face. “On your word, Captain.” 

Dean shivers, and not from the cold. But that's a thought for later. He and Cas grab a conveniently packed paper bag of balloons and chase after Adam and Sam. 

The following battle is rough, both on Dean’s body and his libido, but in the end a truce is called. All four stumble out of the trees no worst for wear, soaked, with huge grins on their face. Back at their table the adults (because can Dean really call himself an adult now?) are sitting around the table, and Jo is nowhere to be seen. 

“Victor picked her up for dinner,” Kate says. “Speaking of which, we should be going. You better’ve packed a towel, young man.” She points a very stern finger at her son, who shrugs. Kate shakes her head, before dolling out hugs to the group, even those who are wet from battle. 

After Kate and Adam drive off, the other are quick to follow. Soon it’s only Dean, Mary and Castiel, around the table. They work quickly to pick up their trash and fold up the tablecloth, which Mary tucks into a reusable tote. The vase and flowers get's shuffled back into their box, which is put into the bag as well. She shoots her son a not to subtle look, then nods her head in Castiel’s direction. 

Dean gets the hint, and walks over to where his friend is standing and wringing out his shirt. “I’m glad you joined us,” Dean says, absolutely not checking out the way Castiel’s shoulders move under his skin or the way his dark nipples are showing through the thin material of his tank top. 

“I’m honored to have been invited. You have a lovely family.” Castiel sounds astonished, close to reverent. 

“Yeah, I think they’re pretty awesome,” Dean confesses. “I should probably go, though. Told mom I’d drive her home.” Then, before he can talk himself out of it, he steps forward and give Castiel a quick kiss on his wet cheek. “Bye, Cas.”

“Goodbye, Dean,” Cas says, and he sounds very pleased.

Dean can’t bring himself to look his friend in the eye. Instead he spins around and practically drags his mother back to the impala. She calls a goodbye to Cas, who returns it with a laugh. 

Once they are safe in the impala and on the road heading towards Mary’s house, she speaks. “He seems like a nice boy.”

“Yeah. He’s… good,” Dean says simply. 

“You know,” Mary says after a beat. “I think your father would have liked him, too.”

At this, Dean can’t stop the small, pleased smile from crossing his face. Dean has no doubt that it’s true. John Winchester had been the best father Dean could have asked for, even after he and Mary split when Dean was nine and Sam was five. He just wishes John could be around to meet Castiel himself. 

“I think you’re right,” Dean tells her. Dean reaches out with his right hand, and takes her hand, giving it a squeeze. It’s true, he doesn’t have his dad, but he still has Mary and he’s never going to take that for granted. He pulls into his mom’s driveway and kills the engine. “Happy birthday, mom.”

Mary slides across the seat and pulls her oldest into a tight hug. “Thank you. I had a wonderful day. Love you.”

“I love you too,” he says into the embrace. They pull apart and Mary climbs out of the car. 

Dean is about to back out, surprised he made it without being completely interrogated, when his mom pops her head back through the open window. “And I expect a full report after you take Castiel out on a first date.” She winks, and practically skips into her house. 

Dean sighs because, yeah, that seemed more like it. 

He reverses, and heads back in the direction of his home. It isn’t until he’s stopped at a red light that he pulls out his phone. He doesn’t have long, but he has enough time to send a quick message before the light turns green. 

* * *

 

To: CAS

R U free tomorrow night? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so taken with this idea of Mary and John having an amicable divorce, where Mary and Kate become best friends, and raise their children together even after John dies. Idk. I just... I love it. I hope you all do too.
> 
> And what about Cas? Any ideas about his past? I'm really trying to drag it out.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So somehow this chapter ended up being almost 4k words. Whoops!

Dean stares at the message from the safety of his bed; under the covers, where he can hide from sunlight and responsibilities. He tries to think of the last time he went on a date that was more than just drinks at the Roadhouse, and just _can’t._

It’s not that Dean doesn’t date. Because he does. He dates a lot. But his dates are either may-as-well-try-it hail Mary’s (like with Aaron) or they’re more of the random-hookup variety. If Dean’s honest with himself, the last date he had was probably before he started nursing school. 

That’s not to say he doesn’t want to date. No, he definitely does. He wouldn’t go on may-as-well-try-it hail Mary dates if he didn’t. It’s just that until Castiel, he hadn’t met anyone who he genuinely thought could actually work out. And Castiel could. There’s just something about him that pulls Dean in like gravity. 

During his musings Dean’s phone went dark, and he unlocks it to read the message again. Then he feels something he hasn’t felt in a very long time. 

Butterflies. And they really are nasty little things; tying him up in knots, while also feeling kind of nice, too. 

Dean shakes his head and pushes into a sitting position. He has a date tonight, and it’s never too early to start getting ready. 

First step, though, is to _clean the pipes_ , so to speak. There’s nothing worst than going into a date keyed up and fit to burst. And Dean knows that if he doesn’t jack it at least twice beforehand, then he’ll never be able to act cool and civilized. He weighs his options, either to do it now or in the shower, then scoffs. 

The shower is obviously the better choice. 

He slips out bed, and shimmies out of his boxer-briefs. Those get tossed in the hamper beside his dresser as he passes on his way to the bathroom. While the water is getting nice and hot, steaming up the mirror just the way Dean likes it, he relieves himself then brushes his teeth. 

When he steps into the shower the hot water hits him like a freight train and Dean can’t help but let out a pleased moan. Dean may complain about his apartment, from the outdated kitchen to the ugly carpet, but at least the water pressure is killer. With the wet heat massaging his back and his own hands soaping up his chest it doesn’t take long for his dick to start paying attention. 

When he finally takes himself in his soapy hand, he’s harder than normal. Something about the anticipation has his engines revving a little higher, get’s his blood a little hotter. And with his date on his mind, he isn’t surprised that when he closes his eyes and stokes his own cock it’s a vision of dark hair that he sees. 

In his minds eye Castiel is in be shower with him. He’s on his knees, totally comfortable and at ease, with Dean’s cock shoved down his throat. Dean stokes, but it’s really Castiel bobbing up and down. When Dean twists his hand on the upstroke, it’s Castiel flicking his tongue around the head. Dean imagines Castiel looking up at him, gazing at him with those gorgeous blue eyes. 

Only two more stokes and Dean finds himself pushed over the edge and he paints the shower wall with his release. He moans through the aftershocks, and slows his strokes until they're just barely-there touches. His body gives one final shake just as the last spurt of come leaves him. 

“Damn,” he says finally. He gives a quick laugh and shakes out his jello-y limbs. Dean doesn’t know the last time he was able to jack himself to such a powerful orgasm. 

With the fun stuff done, he finishes his wash and cleans his hair. The water is still warm, and he’s half tempted to stay under the spray for longer, but knows that if he does he won’t get anything else done. So, instead he shuts off the shower and grabs a few towels from the rack. One gets wrapped around his hair, while another goes around his waist. 

All squeaky clean he wanders out of the bathroom and towards his closet. There he runs into his second dilemma of the day. While Dean is confident enough to know he could rock just about anything, he still wants to make the effort to dress to _really_ impress. That, and Cafe Oz is one of the nicer places in Lebanon. He stares at the open doors long enough for his skin to dry and long enough to work himself into a near panic. 

“Okay. Plan B,” he says as he digs though the blankets on his bed to find his phone. Somehow he ends up ripping the comforter and sheet completely off the mattress before finding his phone on his nightstand. He thumbs the device for a moment; contemplating. 

His brother is a no-go, for obvious reasons. Sam would just want to talk about feelings or make fun of Dean’s nerves. Jo is out for similar reasons. His mother would tell him very nice things about how he shouldn’t worry about clothes, and that it’s what’s inside that matters. Which is sweet, and he’d love to hear it, but ultimately unhelpful. He is close to giving up when he has one of his classic ah-ha! moments. 

Dean scrolls through his contacts for the right number before hitting send. The phone rings three times before it clicks and Tessa’s soothing voice greets Dean through the speakers. 

“ _Morning, Dean! You’re about the last person I was expecting to hear from,_ ” she says cheerfully and Dean can hear the unmistakable sound of bacon frying nearby. “ _What’s up, sweetie?_ ”

“Hey, Tess,” Dean says in reply. “I hope I’m not interruptin’ anything. I just needed some advice and thought you might be able to help.”

Tessa laughs softly. “ _I can sure try. What’s up?_ ”

Dean clears his throat and gives himself a second long pep talk about being cool and not the awkward teenager he feels like. “Well, the thing is, I got a date. Tonight. And I’m not quite sure what to wear.” His voice starts out strong, (well, strong _ish_ ) but by the end he’s basically whispering and would be surprised if Tessa could even hear him. 

“ _What’s this? Dean Winchester, the suave hottie of Oak Park, is nervous about a date_?” Tessa laughs again, louder, and Dean can hear Zeke joining in. 

“Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, you two,” Dean grumbles. The other two’s giggles quiet just a little, which Dean is thankful for. “You gonna help me or not?”

“ _Well, of course we are!_ ” Tessa gushes. “ _You’re on speaker. So where are you going?_ ”

“I made a reservation at Cafe Oz. You ever been there?” Dean asks. 

“ _Yeah, we went there, like, last month? Pretty nice place, Dean,_ ” Tessa tells him. “ _So you need to look nice but not too nice. What do you think, honey?_ ”

“ _Dear, you helped me get dressed for our first date. Do you really think I’m going to be of any help?_ ” Zeke’s deep voice chimes in. And Dean would definitely ask for some details about that story if he didn’t have pressing matters at hand. 

“So what? Jeans and a button up?” He asks, pulling out a shirt at random before stuffing it back in. 

Tessa makes a sound of contemplation before replying. “ _Maybe something a little more. Add a tie and sweater? Do you still have that nice gray one Julia gave your for Christmas?_ ”

“Tess, that’s perfect! You are a life saver!” Dean tells her. He pulls out his nicest pair of jeans, a creamy white button down, a dark gray striped tie, and his soft gray sweater. He’s pretty sure it’s cashmere and it still feels perfect beneath his fingertips. All of the items get arranged on his freshly unmade bed. Not bad. “Thanks for your help, guys. I think I can handle it from here.”

“ _Just call if you need anything else,_ ” Tessa says sweetly before saying her goodbyes. Dean mirrors them and hangs up the phone. 

With that hurdle jumped unscathed, Dean grabs a clean pair of boxer briefs and pulls them up his legs. He considers that good enough and goes about the rest of his morning. He eats his normal breakfast (the sugary cereal of the week, eaten on the couch with Doctor Sexy reruns playing) but decides to do his dishes right away instead of letting them pile up like normal. That leads him to clean the rest of his kitchen, which leads him to clean his whole apartment. The way he sees it, there’s no downside to having a clean apartment on the off chance he invites Castiel up, and it can help him pass the time. 

Then, somehow, Dean cleaning his room and making his bed leads to him thinking about defiling it, which leads him to think about defiling it with _Cas,_ which leads to him fulfilling his masturbatory quota of the day. Only this time, it’s with two fingers buried in his ass, fucking in and out like he imagines Cas would. The guy is all calm and put together but underneath Dean just knows he’s wild.

Dean bucks back against his hand when his fingers hit his prostate. He’s sweaty and leaking precome on his belly, and there is no way he’s getting through the day without another shower, but he’s reluctant to end it by touching himself. Instead he brushes the gland inside himself relentlessly, until he’s coming untouched. He’s pretty sure he’s moaning Cas’ name, but that can’t be helped. His cock starts to soften against his belly, looking as satisfied as Dean feels. 

He pulls out his fingers and rubs them on the sheets, mentally adding laundry to his list of things to do before his date. But first he has to convince himself to get up and shower. It takes some mental coaching, but eventually he is able to roll over and off the bed. 

His second shower is much less interesting than the first, though his cock gives a little twitch at the memory. 

By the time he finishes washing and pulls on another pair of clean underwear, it’s nearly noon. Dean gives himself a break from cleaning to eat a sandwich (eaten while watching more Doctor Sexy) and relax. 

He gets dragged into the predictable story like of his show and ends up watching until the marathon ends and switches over to some procedural cop drama. Dean takes a hard pass on that one and jumps to his feet. His laundry gets done and his apartment is sparkling by the time six rolls around. 

Earlier it was easy to push his nerves aside in favor of other things. Jacking off and cleaning take up a surprising amount of brain space. Now, however, the butterflies are back with abandon. It’s too late to back out, though not that he would, so he just ignores the fluttery bastards. 

He fixes his hair, which was looking a little unkempt, and runs an electric shaver over his face, leaving just enough stubble to look rugged. His last step is to brush his teeth and swish some mouthwash around for good measure. 

Finally it’s six thirty and all he has to do is get dressed. He puts on his jeans and button up, no problem, making sure they both lie flat and mostly unwrinkled. He knots his tie in a quick half windsor and pulls his sweater on over the whole ensemble. A quick check in the mirror makes Dean smirk. 

Yeah, he’d do him. 

After a quick spritz of cologne he’s out the door and in the impala. The drive to Cafe Oz is quick. It’s a quaint little place in the heart of downtown. The exterior is hearty brick, with a couple of tables set up on the sidewalk. Dean’s happy to have called ahead, because already there is a crowd outside waiting for a chance to get a table. 

He’s a few minutes early, but see’s he wasn’t the only one. Cas is standing near the door and Dean is stopped in his tracks. The guy always looks like a model. He definitely has the whole motorcycle riding, bad-boy chic thing dialed in. But as Dean takes in his dark slacks, gray plaid shirt and black suspender combo, he is doubting that he jacked off enough to cover for how attentive his dick already is. Cas looks like he walked out of some high fashion magazine, and is attracting quite a lot of attention for it. A group of teen girls, who look like their out with their mothers, are not so subtly ogling him, while the mothers are doing it a little more subtly. 

Dean shakes himself out of his stupor when he see’s Cas looking at him with a knowing smirk on his lips. His cheeks flush when he realize he was caught, but he can’t really stop himself. He walks up to his date and catches Cas give him a look up and down. He maybe preens a little, but he’s discreet about it. 

“Hey, Cas,” Dean says once he’s within hearing distance. 

“Hello, Dean,” Cas replies. The sound of his deep voice sends chills down Dean spines, and gets the teenagers giggling. 

“You have admirers,” Dean whispers, shaking his head in the directions of the girls. 

Cas spares them a glance and grins. “I think someone else may have caught their eye.”

Dean hazards a look and sees that the girls are now looking between him and Cas with wide eyes. He chuckles and shakes his head. “Teenagers, am I right? Should we head in?” Castiel nods and Dean gives him the ‘after you’ gesture. Inside they’re greeted by a pretty teenager with wild curls. She looks as collected as any hostess on a busy night, and Dean gives her a smile. “Welcome to Cafe Oz. Party of two?”

“Yeah, I made a reservation last night. Under Winchester?” Dean says as he approaches Castiel’s side. 

“Of course. I have a table set up for you, if you’d follow me.” The girl grabs a couple of menus and leads them away from the door. They zigzag around happy diners until they stop at a table in the back corner. “Here you go. I’ll send your server right over.”

Dean and Cas take their seats just as the host returns to quickly fill their glasses with water. 

“Have you ever been here?” Castiel asks as he takes a sip of water and picks up his menu. 

“Nah, but I’ve heard good things.” Dean also picks up his menu and is happy to see that he can recognize just about everything written. The menu isn’t one specific type of food. There is pasta and sandwiches and meat dishes. Everything looks amazing and the smells coming from the kitchen are very promising. 

Just then a bubbling redhead in navy blue dress approaches their table. “Hi there. Sorry we’re busier than normal tonight. I’m Charlie. I’m one of the owners of this humble establishment. I’ll be takin’ care of you so Lisa can have a little break.” Dean is a little taken aback by her overzealous attitude, but he also likes it. “You boys want anything to drink to get you started?”

“What beers do you have on tap?” Dean asks, pushing the fru-fru cocktail menu aside. 

“I have a great local lager. People really like it,” Charlie explains. 

“Sounds great.” Dean watches as she makes a note on a small notepad. “Cas?”

“I’ll have one as well,” he tells the woman with a smile. 

Charlie taps her pen on the pad and grins. “Comin’ right up.”

She flounces off, leaving the two men to browse their menus in peace. They small talk about their options (Dean’s leading towards the steak, while Cas likes the look of the clam dish) and their days. Castiel tells funny anecdotes about his morning at Cain’s that has Dean laughing so hard he nearly chokes on his water. He’s wiping a laughter tear off his cheek when Charlie stops back to drop off their beer and get their food orders. 

“So, Dean, I will admit I’m a little nervous. I haven’t been on a date in a while,” Cas says just before taking a sip off the top of his beer glass. “I maybe shouldn’t have told you that.”

“No, man, it’s cool. I’ve been feelin’ the same,” Dean admits. “Works normally my excuse. What’s yours?”

Dean watches as Cas has a mental debate before answering. “Nothing that admirable unfortunately. And not something I should talk about on a first date. Especially if I want there to be a second.”

Castiel’s eyes dart up to Deans and he looks so hopeful. Dean can’t help but blush. “You already want a second date? We haven't even gotten our food yet. What if you hate the way I eat?”

“Don’t worry, Dean. There is little you could do to discourage me now.” They share a moment of eye contact, broken only when Charlie arrives with their food. 

Both dishes smell heavenly and the two men must show their excitement on their faces, because Charlie giggles. “You two enjoy. I guarantee everything is wonderful. My wife is the chef and she’s the best I know.” She bows awkwardly then shakes her head at her own silliness. “Uh, enjoy.”

Dean doesn’t need to be told twice. He uses the provided steak knife to cut into the meat and salivates at how tender it is. He drags the piece through the pool of sauce and lifts it to his mouth. He moans around the bite because it’s the best _goddamn_ steak he’s ever had. “Holy crap. I wanna eat here every day.”

His date mumbles his agreement as he separates a clam using a tiny for. “This is quite incredible.”

The two men continue to eat while they chat. As far as dates go, Dean thinks this one’s been pretty good, though he could do without the tease of Castiel’s graceful hands wielding his fork and knife so effortlessly. By the time their plates are cleared Dean is feeling happy and full, but not quite ready to leave yet. So when Charlie stops by and offers a dessert menu, Dean takes it. 

They don't have pie, but they have an apple strudel that sounds pretty damn close. Cas decides on a chocolate custard, but says he’s willing to share if Dean is. Sensing a chance to be fed, he agrees. 

Charlie takes their dessert order with a knowing smirk and promises to get everything out as soon as possible. 

Like the steak, the first bite of the strudel is heavenly, and Dean moans around it. “Okay, you gotta try this.” He makes sure to get a perfect bite on the fork before offering it to his date. Castiel accepts the bite and Dean can’t help but stare at the way his eyelids flutter closed as he chews. 

When Cas scoops some of his mousse onto a spoon, Dean opens his mouth expectantly. “Pushy,” Cas teases, but gives over the bite anyway. It’s pretty good, not as good as pie, but the way Cas’ eyes follow him makes up for it. 

They finish their desserts like this, shared and slow. By the time they finish it’s nearly ten and the restaurant is near to being empty. Dean looks up, just now realizing how late they are, and spots Charlie lingering around the corner. He flags her over and is poised to apologize when Charlie jumps in. 

“Oh, don’t let me rush you boys. This whole thing you got goin’ on is positively dreamy.” Dean flushes and Castiel looks to be in a similar state. “Anything else I can getcha?”

“Uh, no. Thanks though. Everything was awesome,” Dean tells her. 

“Glad to hear it,” Charlie says with a smile. “I’ll go grab your check.”

Dean bumps Castiel’s knee with his own under the table and grins. “This was great, Cas. I had a really good time.”

“I did as well,” Cas says as he pressed his leg harder into Deans. 

Charlie drops off their check swiftly and Dean puts down his own card, waving Cas off when he reaches for his own wallet. Once his card and receipt are brought back to him, Dean signs and leaves a hearty tip, and stands. Offering his hand to his date. Cas takes it, and Dean feels a spark zing up his arm. They wave to Charlie where she’s seated with a pretty brunette and walk hand in hand out to the street. 

They pause just outside; Dean’s car is in one direction with Cas’ bike in the other. If this were any other date Dean would be offering Cas a nightcap back at his place, but somehow that doesn’t seem right, now. 

Dean realizes it’s because Cas seems better than that. “Well, this was awesome. Thanks for comin’ out with me.”

“I’m glad you asked me, Dean. I had a wonderful time.” If Cas is disappointed about the lack of a prolonged evening, he doesn’t show it. And that just makes his decision feel even better. 

But that doesn’t mean Dean doesn’t want a goodnight kiss. 

He lifts his right hand to cup Castiel’s jaw and the other man’s eyes flutter shut as he leans into the contact. Dean takes a set closer until he can feel the puffs of Cas’ breath on his face. It smells like chocolate. He leans in quickly, pressing his lips to Castiel’s. The contact is brief, but strong. Their tongues stay in their own mouths, but it still heats Dean’s insides like whiskey. He can feel Cas grab his waist; not pulling or pushing, but just holding him in place. 

When Dean pulls away he’s smiling, and so is Cas. “When can we do this again?”

Cas leans in and gives him another quick kiss. “When do you get off work tomorrow?”

“Eight. Too late?” Dean asks as his thumb moves on its own accord to stroke Cas’ stubbly cheek. 

“That’s perfect. I’ll pick you up at the home, okay?” Castiel asks, tilting his head just enough to kiss the pad of Dean’s thumb. 

“Can’t wait.” Dean gives one final kiss before forcing himself to pull away. He and Cas keep glancing at each other over their shoulders as they walk away, neither abashed in any way. 

When Dean get’s home he collapses on his bed. For the life of him he can’t seem to wipe the grin off his face. 

And he doesn’t really want to. 

* * *

 

To: CAS

R U free tomorrow night?

From: CAS

I am. Why do you ask?

To: CAS

I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner with me?

From: CAS

I'd love to. When and Where?

To: CAS

How about Cafe Oz? 7?

From: CAS

Sounds perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, you may or may not recognize Cas' ensemble from one of my other stories. So I like a guy in suspenders. Sue me. ;)
> 
> and okay I like the whole feeding thing too. But who doesn't??


	8. Chapter 8

Dean is temped to stop by Cain’s on his way into work. Just the idea of seeing Castiel again gets his heart pumping faster in his chest. Unfortunately, he gets waylaid by a traffic jam on the way and has to skip the impromptu date. At least Dean has their date later to look forward to. 

He gets to the home with only minutes before his clock in time and parks the impala in his regular spot before racing through the front doors. Claire gives him a wave with a smirk on her face, and Dean takes a second to recognize that’s almost a smile. He throws his stuff in his normal locker, but just as he closes the door Tessa appears. Dean jumps, nearly out of his skin, as he glares at the other nurse. 

“So?” Tessa asks. Her scrubs are butter yellow today, and they seem to perfectly match her sunny disposition. “How was it?” 

Under normal circumstances, Dean would regret telling her about his date. Today isn’t normal, though, and he finds he just wants to gush. Only a little bit, though. “It was real good, Tes. I, uh, had a great time. We’re meeting again tonight. Once I get off.”

Tessa clasps onto both of his shoulder and bounces up and down on the balls of her feet. When it’s clear that, yeah, Dean’s happy but not really into the whole bounding up and down thing, she stops. “I’m happy for you, Dean. You deserve someone good in your life.”

“Thanks,” Dean says with a blush. He covers it by clearing his throat. “Don’t you wanna get out of here already? Go meet up with your husband or whatever?”

Tessa’s grin says she’s not fooled, but she does as Dean suggests anyway. Dean has no doubts that she and Zeke’ll probably gossip about him as soon as she gets home. He finds that he doesn’t really mind. 

Once Dean is alone, he takes a deep breath. He needs to get his head in the game; focus on work, and not Castiel. He can do that when he sees the man later. 

He does his rounds like normal, spending more time with each resident than he normally does. They all seem happy, though Madge seems to have misplaced her silver, decorative Santa sleigh (why she has that now, in the summer, Dean doesn’t know) and Sheila is missing another diamond bracelet. When Dean finds who’s stealing from his residents, and he will find out, they’ll wish they hadn’t. 

He stops at Julia’s room last, and again finds Jay inside as well. They, luckily, don’t have any new thefts to report, and instead just want to chat. They don’t seem to know about his date, and if they do they are staying pretty quiet on the subject. Part of him wants to tell Julia, because surely she’ll be happy that he and Cas had such a good time, but he refrains. He figures he should give it a couple dates before he starts telling the family. 

After he bids the two love birds goodbye after nearly half an hour of conversation, he nearly runs into Weber, the home’s other housekeeper. He cleans the rooms on the two days that Eileen doesn’t, and still Dean doesn’t know much about him. He seems friendly enough, smiling at the residents and helping them whenever he’s nearby. 

Dean mumbles an apology to the guy and does another quick sweep around the home before heading to the kitchen to see if Benny needs any help with dinner. The big cajun is happy for another set of hands, and sets Dean up with a large bag of potatoes and a peeler. He hums “A pirates Life For Me” under his breath while he works, to Benny and Andrea’s amusement. Once dinner in finished (shepherd’s pie in mini dishes for each resident and worker) Dean helps deliver food to the rooms and does another check in with each resident. 

They are all happy, which Dean is always glad to see. Feeling good, he snags a dish of food for himself and plops down in one of the home’s overstuffed armchairs. He finishes his food and feels warm and drowsy, when he chances a glance at the clock. He jumps from his seat, feeling suddenly frantic. He didn’t realize how late it was getting and now has only twenty minutes until the end of his shift. 

Dean feels a rush of excitement fill him, and he realizes he has a wide smile on his face. He practically skips to the kitchen to rinse his dish and stick it in the dishwasher, before making his way to the bathroom. Under the sink he finds a packaged toothbrush and travel size tube of toothpaste, one of the perks of working in hospitality. He brushes his teeth, making sure to clean every nook and cranny, before stashing the supplies back where he found them. 

He’s heading back in the direction of the front desk when he hears a rumble similar to that of his Impala. And while he’s expecting it, he’s still a little stunned when Castiel appears in the doorway looking like some kind of fashion model. Cas grins and sets his helmet on the empty front desk. “Hello, Dean.”

Dean waves awkwardly, then realizes what he’s doing and tries to disguise it by scratching at the back of his neck. “Hey, Cas.” 

Cas chuckles and steps into Dean’s space. His eyes are smiling as he kisses Dean in a proper greeting. “I’m sorry I’m a little early,” he says as he takes one step back, so he and Dean are close, but not close enough to be a temptation. 

Dean checks his watch. It’s seven fifty. “No big deal. Meg should be here soon, then we can go. Where are we going, by the way?”

“It’s a surprise,” Cas says with a wink. “I’m going to go say hello to Grandma Julia. Come find me when you are ready to go.”

Dean watches him go, letting his eyes drop down to his ass for just a moment. He wonders where Cas plans to take him, but doesn’t think too hard on it. Somehow the anticipation is making the whole thing better. He doesn’t have long enough to do anymore rounds, so instead he just grabs his stuff and sits in the chair behind the desk and reads through Buzzfeed articles on his phone. 

He’s halfway through a post speculating about the next episode of _Game of Thrones_ when he hears the front doors slide open. 

“Was that Mr. Panty Dropper’s bike I saw outside?” Meg asks in lieu of a real greeting. She drops her bag unceremoniously on the counter and hops up to sit beside it. 

“Eleanor better not catch you sittin’ up there,” Dean remarks. “And yeah, Cas is here.”

Meg turns to him and arches a perfectly sculpted brow. “ _Cas,_ huh?” Dean blushes and tries to hide behind his phone. “Do mine eyes deceive me, or are you flustered?”

“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about," Dean mumbles. 

“Yes, I think you do.” Meg slides off the counter and leans over so her face is as close to Dean’s as humanly possible. “Tell me, Dean, do you know why _Cas_ is here?”

“I, uh, no. Well, I mean, yeah,” Dean stammers. “We gotta, you know, a date. Tonight.”

Meg grins and stands, crossing her arms over her chest. “A date, huh?” Dean nods. “Do you not remember, Dean? I called dibs. That’s a sacred bond.”

Dean’s about to protest when Meg holds up a hand. She still has a cheeky grin on her face, and that doesn’t bode well for Dean. “But I will sell you my dibs.”

“Oh, come on!” Dean laughs, because, really, the whole conversation is a little ridiculous. 

“Uh, uh, uh! Scared bond, Dean,” Meg laughs. “Don’t want to bring all that bad juju down on a budding romance, do you? Like I said, I’ll sell you my dibs, all I ask is one sexy photo of Mr. Panty Dropper. Dealers choice.”

Dean’s about to refuse, when he hears another, more manly chuckle coming from beside him. He turns to see Cas, thankfully sans Julia, staring at the two nurses with a bemused expression on his face. “I think that’s fair, Dean. Don’t you? After all, a dibs is a sacred bond.” 

Meg throws back her head and laughs, before shaking her head and wandering around the desk towards the break room. 

“You ready?” Castiel asks, completely unperturbed, as if people bartered for sexy pictures of him everyday. 

“You still haven’t told me where we’re goin’,” Dean mumbles as he slips his leather jacket over his scrubs. 

Cas just smiles and leads him into the parking lot and towards his bike. He pulls his helmet on and pulls another one seemingly out of thin air and tosses it to Dean. “Do you trust me?”

A thrill goes through Dean at the possibilities and nods, scrambling to get the helmet on his head. Cas chuckles, and helps him to adjust it, before snapping the buckle under his chin. 

Cas climbs on the bike first, scooting forward to make room for Dean behind him. Dean doesn’t need prompting to clamber on, wiggling until he’s comfortable on the black seat. He even dares to slide his arms around Castiel’s middle, and can feel the other man’s chest jump with laughter. “You okay back there?” Cas asks as he jams his key into the ignition. 

“More than okay,” Dean tells him. Castiel turns to grin at him as he turns the engine over. The bike roars to life not unlike the Impala, but the engine is close enough to shake the seat, and Dean can’t hide his shiver. The vibration is doing wonderful things to his junk, and he is suddenly a little nervous about the thin material of his scrubs. Then thinks, screw it.

In for a penny, in for a pound, his mom always said. 

Dean scoots closer to Cas, so their bodies are flush. Cas may as well know what he and his bike are doing to Dean. 

Just as Dean tries to pass off a subtle thrust as a seat adjustment, Cas revs the engine. “Hold on,” he says in a rumbling voice to match the bike. 

Then they take off. Cas maneuvers the motorcycle out of the parking lot and onto the road seamlessly. It’s late enough that there isn’t much traffic on the road, and they weave around what cars are there until Cas is pulling onto the old country highway. 

Dean’s not unused to fast speeds. Hell, the Impala’s seen more speed than most cars her age. But there is something to be said about zooming along with nothing between you and the road. Dean’s pretty sure that if he was with anyone else he’d be terrified, but not Cas. Castiel seems entirely at ease as the speedometer reaches seventy miles per hour. It’s not even that fast, but it feels like flying. 

They drive until their about twenty miles outside of town. Around them is only farmland, and there’s the distinct smell of livestock in the air. 

Cas finally pulls over on a nondescript dirt road. He drives them down another mile or so. The minimal light from the highway doesn’t reach this far, so Dean’s eyes are forced to adjust to the moonlight and the soft glow from the bikes headlights. Dean has no idea where they are, but apparently Cas does. He takes another turn onto another dirt road that Dean _definitely_ didn’t see, and stops the bike. 

“You didn’t take me out here to murder me, did you?” Dean asks, mostly joking, as he dismounts the bike. 

“No,” Cas chuckles. “Definitely not.” He, too, climbs off the bike, and reaches out for Dean’s hand. “Come on.”

Dean holds onto the hand like a lifeline as Cas pulls him into the darkness. Beneath him he back hear the faint rustle of grass, but when he looks down he can’t see his feet. Then the grass shifts suddenly to something softer. In front of him he feels Cas crouch, then sit, and Dean follows his lead. Once he’s down he realizes he’s sitting on a quilted blanket. 

“Where are we?” Dean wonders as he feels along the edge of the grass with his fingertips. 

“Hold on,” Cas says, but his voice sounds farther away. “He said he’d leave it right.. ah ha!” 

There is the click of a lighter, and Dean can see Cas’ face in the firelight. He watches as Cas lights an oil lamp, before covering it and setting it back on a flat rock a few feet away. In the new light he can see that the blanket is surrounded entirely by wildflowers, all of different colors. He can’t see a house for miles in any direction. 

“Holy shit,” Dean whispers. “Where are we?”

Cas smiles as he fiddles with the oil lamp until only the smallest out of light shines through. “Cain owned this land with his late wife. I told him I wanted to do something special for you, and he suggested I bring you here.”

Even in the dim light Dean can make out the blush that stains Cas’ cheeks. For someone who seems like such a tough, leather-wearing’, badass, Cas can be pretty damn bashful. The contradiction does things to Dean, and he can’t help but lean forward and kiss him. 

It’s quick, just a press of mouths to show his appreciation. He pulls back, but scoots closer to the other man on the blanket. “This is more than awesome, Cas,” he says. “Wanna be super sappy and stargaze?”

He can see the whites of Castiel’s teeth when he grins. “That’s just what I had in mind.”

Together the two men lay back on the blanket, mindful of the little lamp, and look at at the sky. This far out, there is no light pollution to speak of, and the night sky is filled with stars. Dean’s lived in Kansas his whole life, but he’s pretty sure he’s never seen something so beautiful. 

He looks to the side, only to see Cas already watching him. Cas smiles, and Dean feels another hand tentatively brush the one at his side. Dean links his fingers with Cas’ and squeezes. 

Cas wiggles closer, and closer, until Dean can feel warm puffs of breath on his face. Then Cas’ free hand is coming up to rest on Dean’s cheek. His thumbs scratches at the days growth of stubble on his cheek tenderly. 

“The things you make me want to do to you, Dean,” Cas whispers. His gaze drops down to Dean’s mouth, then back up to his eyes. 

“Then do them,” Dean replies. He imagines they're the same things Dean thinks about doing to Cas, and he wants. Fuck, does he want. 

Cas just smiles. “Someday. For now, I think this is enough.”

Dean half worries that Cas is going to pull away, but instead he closes the minuscule distance between their mouths, slotting their lips together. His stubble catches on Dean’s like the opposite sides of velcro, and Dean hopes that mean’s they'll be stuck together forever. 

He presses up, wanting more, but Cas holds him down with the half of his body that’s somehow draped itself over Dean’s chest. When Dean feels the press of Cas’ tongue against his lips he opens immediately, letting Cas invade his mouth. He moans into it, all of it. 

Cas kisses like he’s starving and Dean’s the buffet. His hand, which started out stroking his face tenderly, now scratches the tender skin behind Dean’s ear. It’s the perfect sort of pleasure/pain that Dean needs. Cas swallows Dean’s pleas for more, but doesn’t give it to him. 

They kiss until Dean’s hard and leaking into his scrub pants, no doubt staining the front. But still, they don’t touch each other, and somehow that makes it sweeter and hotter simultaneously. Dean knows they won’t be getting each other off but it seems okay, as long as he can kiss this wonderful man just a little bit longer. 

The kisses slow, until they are just languidly licking into each others mouths. Then Cas pulls back, pressing one final kiss to Dean’s kiss-tender mouth. “You are exquisite,” Cas says softly into Dean’s skin. 

“God, you too, Cas. So much,” Dean replies quietly. He’s so relaxed, he feels nearly boneless. 

He feels Cas sweep a hand down her cheek and across his pec. “Sleep, Dean. I’ll watch over you.”

“Mmkay,” Dean mumbles. He hears Cas chuckle, before he feels a weight on his chest. It’s pleasant, though, and he looks down to see Cas’ dark head of hair before he slips into a dreamless sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY!
> 
> Man, I suck. I told myself that I would write a ton this summer, but I got totally stuck. Hopefully getting this chapter out will help me get back into the swing of things. 
> 
> I hope you like it. 
> 
> And the next chapter for In Dreams is coming next!

When Dean was a boy he used to beg his parents to let him sleep outdoors. 

For him, falling asleep with the big sky above him was as close to magic as he could get. It wouldn’t take much persuasion for John and Mary to cave, and set up a nice cot for him to sleep on. Mary would pack him snacks, and some nights John would join him. The father and son would spend hours telling ghost stories and drinking hot chocolate out of thermoses. 

(It took Dean an embarrassingly long time to realize that his story about a lucky rabbits foot turned bad was actually terrible and his dad must have been humoring him with his terrified gasps.) 

When he was old enough, Sam joined them. He wasn’t a fan of the scary stories, and instead they would play card games and make s’mores over a tiny fire. Then, when it was time to sleep, Sam would always start the night in his own perfectly made-up cot, but at some point in the night he would stumble half asleep to Dean’s and Dean would wake up smushed in a sleeping bag with his little brother; way too hot, but happy. 

Dean wakes now, in that same kind of contented haze. It’s chilly outside, and the ground is a little too firm, but all of it together forms this sort of pleasure/pain he didn’t know he was missing. He hasn’t been able to sleep outside since he graduated high school. He makes a sleepy promise to sleep outside more often. He blinks past the dew settling on his eyelashes and registers what woke him. A firm hand, rubbing comforting patters on his exposed shoulder. 

He groans and shifts into the feeling. Above him, Castiel chuckles, but digs his fingers in deeper.  The massage feels so damn good that Dean nearly moans, and barely manages to hold it back. 

“Mornin,’” Dean mumbles as he manages to sit up. Castiel smiles at him, all gummy and tired, and Dean can’t help but close the distance between them and press their mouths together. Then he thinks about how horrible his morning breath must be and pulls away. “Sorry.”

Castiel doesn’t seem to mind, as he puts his hand on Dean’s neck and pulls him back in. They kiss languidly, without rush or expectation. It’s weird to describe someone as having strong lips,  but it’s the only thing he can think of when Cas’ lips dominate his, willing them into quiet submission. And only when Castiel seems satisfied that Dean is relaxed and breathless does he pull away. “Good morning, Dean.”

Dean leans down until his head is pillowed on Castiel’s surprisingly muscular shoulder and looks out at where the sun has just risen, painting the sky in pale blues. “What time is it?” Dean asks just as he feels a strong arm wrap around his back and settle on his hip, moving the fabric of his scrub top until it reaches skin. 

“Almost seven,” Castiel tells him, fingers slipping just below the elastic of Dean’s pants and pausing. “Did you sleep well?”

Dean grins and settles deeper into Castiel’s hold. “Better than I have in years. You?”

“Same,” Castiel answers simply as he lets his head fall to rest on top of Deans. 

The two men don’t move for a while. Instead they sit in a sleepy silence, happy to just be close to one another. It isn’t until Dean’s coffee addiction starts to take hold that he lifts his head. “Do you wanna get breakfast somewhere?” 

“I would love to,” Cas says, smiling as he pull his arm away from Dean, leaving the skin exposed to the chilly air. He stands and offers Dean a hand. Dean takes it, and is pulled effortlessly to his feet. Silently they pack up the small lamp and blanket, and store them below the seat on Castiel’s bike. They put on their helmets before Cas leans in to kiss Dean again, making their foreheads knock together. 

Once they are back on the bike, Castiel leans them back onto the road and towards Cain’s. As soon as Cas stops the bike, they both dismount, and Dean stops Cas with a hand on his shoulder. “You sure you’re okay to go to your work, man? I know that kinda sucks.”

Castiel laughs as he pulls of his helmet, making his hair go in a million different directions. “I’m sure, Dean. Best coffee in three counties, after all.” 

Dean rolls his eyes. “Smart-ass,” he mumbles. Cas sends him a cheeky grin, and Dean winks back. The two men enter the diner, and sit in their normal seats at the countertop. It’s before the breakfast rush, so April is able to get them coffee right away. She seems bummed to see Cas and Dean being so cozy, but shakes it off pretty quickly and gets their breakfast orders without a fuss. 

Dean still feels sleepy, so he leans into Cas’ space while they wait for their food. Normally, he would feel self conscious of how clingy he’s being, but Cas doesn’t seem to mind, so neither does Dean. The other man is so comfortable Dean nearly nods off, but startles when April drops off their meals.”’M awake,” he slurs. Cas just laughs at him, subtly, and digs into his omelette. 

Dean’s plate is loaded with hash browns, buttered toast, sausage and fried eggs. It’s greasy and fantastic, and combined with the coffee it’s enough to get him feeling more human. 

The two men eat in a comfortable silence, broken up by yawns and the clanking of cutlery on porcelain. 

“Do you have to work today?” Castiel asks, breaking the silence. He’s sipping from his coffee cup, staring at Dean over the rim. 

Dean takes a moment to stare into his date’s pretty blue eyes. It isn’t until they start to shine smugly that Dean shakes himself out of it. "Not ’til noon.” 

Castiel hums noncommittally. The pair goes back to eating, but Castiel moves a hand to rest it softly on Dean’s knee, and Dean finds that he likes the subtle possessiveness.

They both finish and push their plates forward, just as Dean’s phone starts to ring. He wiggles it out of his pocket, and see’s Aaron’s number on the screen. He swipes to answer the call, and puts the phone to his ear. “Man, Eleanor better not catch you makin' a personal call.” 

“ _Shut up, dude, I need a favor._ ” Aaron sounds stressed, and Dean perks up immediately. 

“What’s up?” Dean asks as he straightens in his seat. 

“ _My mom called. My Gramps fell again, and mom wants some help making his place easier for him,_ ” Aaron says. He’s already sounding more relaxed as he adds, “ _Could you come in a little early? I’d owe you one._ ”

“Of course, man, no problem. One day you gotta get him to move into the oaks,” Dean jokes with a laugh. 

“ _Yeah, right. Like he’d ever live in a home,_ ” Aaron chuckles. “ _But thanks, Dean. Seriously._ ” 

Dean hangs up the phone and drains the rest of his coffee. “Change of plans. I gotta get back to work.” 

“Is everything okay?” Castiel asks as he catches April’s attention. She wanders over, and Cas hands her two twenty dollar bills. “Thank you, April.” He turns his attention back to Dean. 

Dean nods his thanks to April. “Yeah, just family stuff came up and Aaron needs to leave early.”

It seems like explanation enough for Cas, who stacks their plates for April’s ease, and stands. He takes Dean’s hand and the two wander back outside to the bike. They climb back on easier than before, and Dean wraps his arms around Cas’ waist immediately. 

The drive from Cain’s to the Oaks seems quicker on the bike, so before long Dean is dismounting and removing his helmet. Castiel follows his lead, hooking his helmet over the handlebars. “I’m going to go see Grandma and Jay. Come see us when you can.” He gives Dean another kiss on the mouth and makes his way into the home. 

Dean watches him go, just admiring the view for a moment, before following him. Instead of walking into the home proper he turns towards the staff room, where he drops his stuff. Seconds later Aaron bursts into the room. “I thought I heard that bike. Meg told me you were out with Castiel. So sorry about bringing the date up short. But you know. Families. I really appreciate this.” Aaron speaks rapid fire while ripping off his badge and pulling on his sweatshirt. Dean watches, slack jawed. “I’ll see you later, man!” 

And then Aaron is gone. “Alrighty then,” Dean says to the empty room. 

He gets to work like normal. Claire is behind the desk, playing a game on her phone. Dean slams a palm on the counter, making her jump and drop her phone. He laughs as he wanders away, and he can hear Claire call him a dick behind his back. 

Not knowing when Aaron last did rounds, Dean figures he’ll start from the beginning. It’s just after breakfast so he knows Madge and Edwin will be in the living room. He sees them right where he suspected they'd be and wanders over to check on them. “Mornin’, Mr. and Mrs. Carrigan. How are you both?” 

“We’re lovely, dear,” Madge says. 

“Peanut brittle?” Edwin adds. 

Dean, knowing how absolutely disgusting the Carrigan’s peanut brittle is, declines politely. They seem happy, so Dean moves on. 

Marv is in the library, and from the looks of it, he’s trying to charm Gertrude into sitting with him. Dean doubts that will ever happen, but leaves them to it. A quick through-the-door conversation with Frank proves he’s as close to content as Frank can get. Sheila and Mildred are nowhere to be seen, so Dean heads towards Julia’s room. 

The closer to the room he gets, the more he notices the raised voices. Near the middle of the hallway Weber is standing near his cart, and he’s arguing with a woman Dean's never seen. She looks younger than him, but seems dangerous in a way that puts Dean on edge. 

“Lily, you can't just come to my work like this!” Weber is saying, just as Dean approaches. 

“Everything alright over here?” Dean asks, standing with his shoulders back, using his size to his advantage. 

“Fine, Dean,” Weber snaps, and Dean raises a brow at the housekeeper. “Seriously. We’re good.” 

Dean’s about to drop it and move on, when he see’s a group of people heading his way. Cas is in the forefront, leading Sheila down the hallway with her hand in the crook of his elbow, and Julia, Jay and Mildred following behind them. 

“Charles! Charles!” Sheila speaks up, pulling Cas quicker down the hallway, right towards Dean. “Is she? I think she is! Those are my diamonds, Charles!” She points a shaky hand towards the woman, Lily, and everyone’s eyes snap towards her. 

Dean doesn’t know why he didn’t see the diamonds sooner. The necklace is large and flashy, fine for an old lady but a little much for anyone else. 

As Dean puts the pieces together, Weber snaps out of it and takes off running. Cas is quick to follow him and before Dean has a chance to process the movement, Cas is tackling Weber to the ground and holding him steady. “Dean call the police, and make sure she doesn't leave.” 

Dean turns to Lily, but she seems too stunned to move. He pulls out his phone and calls the police. Quicker than he thought possible, Victor and his partner arrive and they begin to question everyone. Dean, after already talking with the police about the thefts, is finished first. He makes his way over to Cas, who is looking shifty and uncomfortable. 

“Name?” Victor asks, clicking his pen and flipping open his notebook. 

Cas clears his throat. “Uh, Castiel Wilkinson.” 

“Wilkinson?” Victor clarifies. Castiel nods. “You one of Jody’s?”

“That’s correct,” Cas says. Dean looks between the two men, feeling like he’s missing something. 

“Well, I’ll need to give her a call and make sure she is informed.” Victor pulls out his phone. 

Castiel moves to stop him, but pauses at Victors sharp look. “That’s really not necessary.”

Victor doesn't seem phased. “Mr. Weems claimed you assaulted him. We have to take the claim seriously considering you’re a…”

“I know what I am!” Castiel barks. “And I didn’t assault him! He attempted to run away and I just stopped him. I didn’t cause him any harm.”

“He’s right, Vic,” Dean pipes in, making both men stare at him; Victor with annoyance, and Castiel with apprehension. “Weber was makin’ a run for it. Anything he has to say is probably bullshit.”

Victor sighs and rubs at the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. “That may be. But unfortunately, what you both say happened doesn’t matter. I still have to call Mr. Wilkinson’s parole officer. He was involved in an altercation and I cannot ignore that. Sorry. Please don’t leave the premises.” 

Without another word Victor strides off, punching a number into his phone as he goes. Dean watches him go, stunned, while Cas looks down at his feet, embarrassed. 

“Your—” Dean starts. 

“My parole officer, yes,” Castiel says quietly. “I was hoping to tell you that, eventually. Once the timing was right.”

“You were— When—” Dean doesn’t quite know what he wants to say. To hear that Castiel has a parole officer, that he must have been in _jail_ at some point, is a lot to take in. His first instinct is to be nervous. He’s never met anyone who’s background is so _hard_. But then he’s angry with himself, because this is _Cas_. Sure, Dean knows he’s hasn’t known the man for very long, but what he’s seen has been so caring, so kind. He thinks about Cas and how he acts around Julia, and knows that there must have been a reason why Cas didn’t tell him about his past. And whatever that reason is, Dean knows he’ll understand. And he finds that, more than anything, he wants to know that reason. He wants Cas to trust him with his past and maybe they can move forward together. 

However Castile must take his silence for something bad, maybe speaking from personal experience, because he mumbles an apology and backs away. And before Dean can piece a sentence together, Castiel is disappearing into Julia’s room and, by the sound of it, locking the door behind him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well? Was it worth the wait? I swear things are picking up from here on out.
> 
> I kinda love the idea of Eleanor being this like unseen presence. The mystical dragon, so to speak.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Another chapter already! It's a little shorter than I'd normally do, but I didn't want to try and shove more words into it.
> 
> I hope you like it!

The _shick_ of the lock breaks Dean out of his stupor, and he crosses the hallway in a second. He raises his fist to knock, but the fear that Cas won’t let him in terrifies him. So, instead, he does something that he hasn’t had to do in a long time. From his pocket he pulls out his set of keys, flipping through them until he finds the one with a giant ‘7’ written on it in thick black sharpie. 

The key fits in easily, and he turns the lock. He looks to his left and then to his right. He makes eye contact with Jay, who gives him a subtle nod before leading Julia towards the living room with a hand at the small of her back. 

Dean pushes into the suite, checking where Cas may be, but doesn’t see him. He’s not sitting at the kitchen table, or in the living room. He walks in further, closing the door and locking it behind him. The bedroom door is open only a crack, but Dean can see a shape on the bed through the small opening. 

Quietly, as to not spook the other man, Dean walks into the room and around to the other side of the mattress. 

Castiel is lying on his side, curled to the center. His shoulders are hunched and he’s watching Dean with guarded, blue eyes, but he’s not asking him to leave. Dean takes that as a good sign and climbs onto the bed. He scoots closer, until their knees are knocking and their bodies form the shapes of two parenthesis. 

They lay that way in the silent room. 

As much as Dean itches to ask about a hundred questions, he doesn’t. Castiel had wanted to tell Dean in his own time, and while that was shot to Hell, Dean still wants to make sure the other man knows this conversation is in his control. 

Dean watches as emotions flit across Cas’ handsome face. First trepidation, then fear, before settling on something like resignation. Pretty sure he’s resigning himself to this being a deal-breaker, Dean reaches a hand over to lace his fingers through Castiel’s. It’s worth it to see hope shining back at him. 

“I got out about a month ago.” He looks down, probably in shame and Dean squeezes his hand in support. “When people hear what I did, they tend to want to get as far away as possible. They think I’m violent and crazy.” 

“I won't think that,” Dean says softly. 

“Thats because you don’t know yet,” Cas tries to reason. When Dean says nothing he huffs what could be considered a laugh, if the situation was different. “I was given three years, but I got out in two for good behavior. I was charged—” He breaks off, and Dean watches as he takes in a deep, steadying breath. “I was charged with aggravated assault. They tried to get me with intent to kill, but they didn’t have enough evidence against me.” 

Dean is shocked, but he’s not about to let this change his opinion of Cas. “What happened?” He asks, because he’s sure Cas had a reason. 

“I was worried about my sister. She was being distant. We had always been close, she would tell me everything, so all of a sudden hearing nothing… I started going a little crazy. One day after she came over to borrow something, I found a syringe in my bathroom garbage. Everything kinda clicked, and I was furious.” Castiel stops again and sniffs. Dean can see he’s fighting frustrated tears and it only enamors him to Dean more. 

“I tracked down who I thought was her dealer. He refused to tell me anything. I was getting so mad, Dean. I’ve never felt that before,” Cas adds in a whisper. Dean moves a scant closer, wanting to offer his support. “I started hitting him. He still wouldn’t talk. I lost track of how many punches I got in before they pulled me off him.”

“Then Anna was there and she was screaming at me. It wasn’t her dealer. He was her boyfriend.” A stubborn tear makes it’s way down his face, then another right after it. “I broke his jaw, his cheekbone, his nose. He had to have three teeth pulled and was put into a medically induced coma to deal with the pain.”

“Do you want to know the kicker?” Cas asks sarcastically, to which Dean nods. “The drugs were Hani’s. I was so obsessed with why my sister was being so distant, I failed to notice my own boyfriends drug problem.”

“I’m sorry,” Dean says. “But I also get why you did it. If I thought something was wrong with Sammy I know I would have done the same thing.”

“No you wouldn’t,” Cas mumbles. “You are a better man than I am. I understand if this is too much to deal with.”

If Dean was being honest with himself, with anyone else it probably would be. Not Cas, though. Dean closer the distance between them, until he can frame Cas’ face in his palms. Only when he has Cas’ undivided, confused attention does he speak. “It’s not too much, Cas, cause it’s you. I really like you, man.”

“Dean,” Cas sighs, sounding somewhere between relieved and heartbroken. “I can’t ask you to ignore my past, that would be unfair.”

Dean shakes his head. “I’m not ignorin’ it. I’m sayin’ that I get it, and I don’t think it makes you any less of a good person. We all makes mistakes, some more and bigger than others, because we’re human.”

Cas finally crumbles. He starts to cry, though not loudly, and buries his face in Dean’s chest. Dean rubs his hand along Cas’ spine, feeling the bumps and dips of bone. 

After a few minutes of Dean giving whatever comfort he can, Castiel pulls away with a final sniff. “You okay?” Dean asks quietly. 

Castiel leans forward and kisses him in answer. He tastes like salt, with an undercurrent of the mornings coffee. “Thank you,” he says once he pulls away. 

They kiss again, before Cas moves to sit up. Dean follows his lead, catching sight of the bedside clock as he does. “I have to get back to work,” he tells the other man. “Are you going to be okay?”

Cas nods. His eyes are still a little wet, but he’s smiling. “Yes, Dean. Thank you, again, for just— for just being who you are.”

Dean can feel his cheeks flush, and he coughs to try and hide it. “Right back atcha,” he says. He stands and adjusts his scrubs, before giving Cas another kiss in goodbye. He’s almost to the door when he turns back around, startling Cas who’s still sitting on the bed. “I’d really like to be able to call ya my boyfriend.” 

Cas looks gobsmacked. “Really? After everything?”

“Yup,” Dean confirms with a charming smile. “What do ya say?”

“Yes. I would like that very much,” Castiel says as a smile, just as bright and beautiful, spreads across his face. 

* * *

While Dean did his afternoon rounds, he was able to piece together what had happened after he followed Cas into Julia’s suite. Apparently Weber had been arrested, the whole time yelling that he was going to call his lawyer and press charges on the ‘animal’ that assaulted him. Thankfully there had been enough eye witnesses that Victor didn’t see the need to, but had likely called Cas’ parole officer anyway. Lily, unfortunately, was cuffed too because, despite her insistence that she had no part in the crime, she was still wearing an eighty year old family heirloom worth thousands of dollars. 

Eleanor was also called, and was already in the process of finding a new and less klepto-y housekeeper. 

Dean finds Julia and Jay last, and he claps a hand on Jay’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze in thanks for allowing him some time to talk to his grandson-in-almost-law. 

“How is he?” Julia asks as Dean sits in an armchair across from their couch. 

“He’s okay. He told me everything,” Dean tells them. 

Julia sits a little straighter in her chair. “And?” He prompts, the ever protecting grandmother. 

“And we’re good. You didn’t think I was going to get a little jail time get in the way, did you?” Dean jokes, though both Julia and Jay can see the seriousness underneath. 

Julia moves from her seat and bends down to give Dean a warm, tight hug. “Thank you, for caring about that sweet boy. He doesn’t have much good in his life right now.”

She releases him, and goes back to her seat by Jay. Dean is spared having to come up with further conversation when he sees a familiar woman walk through the front door. 

He stands and makes his way towards her. 

Jody, who he can see now definitely looks like a badass parole officer, is dressed in khakis with a while polo shirt tucked into the waistband. Her hair is short, but orderly. Dean holds out a hand when he approaches her. “Jody, right? I don’t think we’ve ever been introduced. I’m Dean.”

“Oh Dean? I’ve heard about you. Nice to finally put a face to the name,” Jody says politely as she shakes his hand with a firm grip. “Is Castiel around?”

Dean nods and adds a quick, “right this way,” before leading her back towards Julia’s suite. He knocks on the door this time, and Cas is quick to pull it open. He’s looking refreshed, all signs of his early upset gone. “Hello, Jody.” 

“Afternoon, Castiel,” Jody responds. Cas steps aside to allow her into the room, and Dean knocks on the doorframe with his knuckles. 

“Well, I’ll let you two get to it. Cas, wanna come find me after?” Dean asks, not wanting to intrude on the conversation between parole officer and parolee. 

“You can join us, if you’d like?” Cas’ question is casual, but Dean can see the need for support behind it. Dean nods and gives Cas a kiss in acceptance. 

In the suite Jody is already making herself comfortable at one of the chairs around the kitchen table, leaving the other two empty for the two men. If she’s surprised at Dean joining them, she doesn’t show it. 

“Okay. So Castiel I’m here to get your statement as to what happened today. Off the record? I believe you, but you know I have to do this anyway,” Jody tells them. For someone who has to deal with criminals all day, she seems happy to be in Cas’ presence. Dean figures it’s cause the guy charms everyone he meets. 

“I was walking with my grandma Julia and some of her friends, when I saw Dean arguing with the housekeeper. Sheila pulled me towards them and pointed out that the young man’s girlfriend was wearing a necklace that had been stolen from her room. The young man—” He pauses. 

“Weber,” Dean says at the same time as Jody supplies, “Mr. Weems.”

“Yes. Mr. Weems attempted to run away, and I merely stopped him. I promise, I didn’t intend to hurt him, and held him only long enough for Dean to call the police.” While Cas seems calm, Dean can see him wring his hands underneath the table. He reaches over and slips his hand between the mess of fingers, and Castiel stills. 

“Is that how you saw it as well, Dean?” Jody asks, making a notation in a small notebook. 

“Yes, Ma’am,” Dean tells her. “Cas was just trying to stop a thief. I don’t know if Vic’s told you, but we’ve had a mess of thefts lately, and if Webber was he guy then Cas really did us all a solid catchin’ him.” 

Jody nods and makes another quick note. “Well, I think I have what I need. There’s no reason for me to believe you broke your probation.” She stands and hold out a hand, which Cas shakes gratefully. 

“Thank you, Jody,” he tells her. 

“No problem, kiddo,” she says with a smile. Dean thinks his suspicion about Cas’ charm is looking more and more likely. “I can show myself out. Dean, keep this one outta trouble, you hear?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Dean says again, this time with a laugh. 

Jody waves a hand casually and leaves the suite. 

Cas slumps in his seat and lets out a relieved sigh. “I don’t want to do that ever again.” 

“Then stop being so heroic and tacklin’ guys,” Dean jokes. “You’re makin’ me swoon.”

Cas slaps at Dean’s arm playfully, but Dean jumps out of the way. Cas finally catches him by the wrist and pulls him close. “Would you like to get dinner when you get off tonight?”

“That sounds great,” Dean agrees. “Now get out of here you distracting bastard. I have told people I need to look after.”

“I’m going to tell Julia you said that,” Castiel says in mock seriousness. 

Dean pales. “Please don’t.”

Castiel laughs and Dean is glad to see it after the last couple of hours. “You’re secret is safe with me.”

 

They kiss through their laughter and Dean thinks, regardless of what happened in the past, that they could have a fun future. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our babies were due some fun, dontcha think?


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So I'm a bad author, I know. Writing has just been tough. Way too much stress. But I am determined to get things rolling again... and that mean's updating these little babies. 
> 
> I hope this chapter makes up for the wait! 
> 
> Up ahead... SMUT! And poor Balthazar as a bartender... again.

The rest of Dean’s day is thankfully peaceful. He does his rounds, helps Benny and Andrea eat dinner, multiple lasagnes and homemade garlic bread, and tries not to text Cas. 

Cas had left around one in the afternoon. He had wanted to get some of his volunteer hours finished, and promised Dean to be back when Dean got off work that evening. 

While Dean wasn’t texting Cas, he’s definitely been thinking about him. He’s beyond happy that Castiel’s agreed to be his boyfriend. Yes, the other man’s history is messy, and there is a certain amount of baggage there, but Dean finds that he doesn’t really care. Cas is kind, and cares about his family, and is hot as hell. For Dean, that’s pretty much the perfect package. 

As this shift winds down to the end, Dean finds himself trying to figure out where he wants to take his _boyfriend_ tonight. It’s too soon to make reservations anywhere, so it’ll have to be somewhere casual. But not the Roadhouse, Dean tries not to take significant others to his normal hunting grounds, not at first at least. 

Dean’s brought out of his musings by Meg pushing her way into the staff room. “Hey, Dean-o,” She says with a smirk, pulling off her jacket. “Sounds like today was exciting.” 

“Yeah, a little too exciting,” Dean laughs. He pulls a spare set of clothes out of his locker and goes to change quickly in the staff bathroom. He gets back quickly and stuffs the old scrubs in his locker. “Hey, I’m going out with Cas tonight. Any suggestions?” 

Meg raises a delicate eyebrow and crosses his arms over her chest. “I don’t know, Winchester. Why should I help you when you still owe me a specific picture?” 

“Oh, come on, Meg! I’m not going to give you a picture of my boyfriend’s junk,” Dean groans, even though he’s smiling. He may pretend to dislike Meg, but she’s pretty fun to trade snark with. 

“Boyfriend, huh?” Meg grins. “Well, shit. Good job.” 

Dean feels like preening, cause _hell yeah_ it’s a good job. 

“Anyway there’s that new billiards club that opened up on Waldorf,” Meg suggests. “I’ve heard good things. Plus you get to watch that tight ass bend over the tables.”

“That is a great idea. Thanks Meg,” Dean says. He’s going to ignore the comment about Cas’ ass. It is true after all. “You good if I get out of here?”

“Ride ‘em, cowboy,” she says in goodbye. 

Dean’s steps only falter a bit, because that idea does have promise. Normally Dean’s relationships only last one steamy evening. With Cas, it’s seemed more important to take things slow. That doesn’t mean that Dean doesn’t want more, quite the opposite. To be able to be with Cas in that way; sweaty naked bodies rolling around, tongues in naughty places, cocks everywhere. 

Dean takes a breath to calm himself down and is adjusting his halfie in his jeans when Cas appears. 

“What are you doing?” Castiel asks, eyes flicking down to where Dean’s hand is still on his jean-covered cock. 

“Nothing. You ready to go?” Dean asks, hand flying away from his crotch like it was on fire. 

“What are our plans?” Castiel leads Dean out of the Oaks with a hand at his lower back, and towards the bike. Like last time he hands Dean a helmet while donning his own. 

“Head down to Waldorf. There’s a place I wanted to check out,” Dean says. He slides onto the bike right behind Cas, sliding his arms around the other man’s waist. Cas grabs one of Dean’s hands and lifts it to his mouth, placing a quick kiss on his palm. 

“You got it.” With a loud roar the bike comes to life and they are speeding towards the center of town. 

Dean is worried that he’s growing a little addicted to the feeling of vibrations under his ass and a firm body against his chest. It’s just… _awesome_. 

When Cas takes a left on Waldorf, Dean taps him on his right side and Cas pulls the bike over, parking it along the curb. The two men disembark the bike and Cas stashes the helmets. His hair is an absolute mess and Dean can’t resist running his fingers through it. Cas squeals and squirms away like a teenager, using his own hands to push his hair into some kind of order. 

Dean stops his floundering with a kiss, because that’s something he can do now. When he pulls away, Cas is smiling. “You’re adorable,” Dean tells him, then kisses him again. “Come on.” 

The new pool place, Empire Billiards, is a quaint place. It’s situated up above a laundromat and decorated in dark wood and green felt. There’s a long, shiny bar along one wall with a number of study pool tables along the other. “Why don’t you get us a table and I’ll get us some beers,” Dean says as he points out an empty pool table in the far corner. Castiel nods and heads in that direction. 

Dean watches him go for a moment, before sliding up to the bar. There is a blond man in a deep-v t-shirt behind the bar, shining stemware. “What can I get for you?” He asks in a posh British accent. 

“Just a couple beers, thanks," Dean says, then he gestures at Cas behind him, “Can I just start a tab?”

“You got it, mate,” the bartender says with a wink, sliding two pints across the bar. 

Dean takes his drinks with a thankful nod, and meanders through the crowd to Cas, where he already has the balls racked and ready. 

“Here you go,” Dean says as he hands Cas his drink. 

“Thanks. You want to break?” Cas takes a sip of the beer and smiles at Dean over the lip of his glass. 

“You bet your sweet ass,” Dean laughs. He grabs a spare cue and lines up his shot. Knowing Cas is behind him, he wiggles his ass a little before shooting the cue ball towards its more colorful counterparts. He sinks two balls and winks at Cas once he stands. 

Castiel seems to take Dean’s silent wager and goes all in. Once it’s his turn he sinks all of balls in one turn, figuratively wiping the floor with Dean. 

Dean drains his beer, mock-glares at his boyfriend, and points a stern finger at him. “This is war, Wilkinson.”

“Bring it, Winchester,” Castiel challenges back. 

What follows is an all out war between the two men. Dean tries to tease Cas into faulting, while Cas resorts to dirty tricks (read: tickling) to achieve the same means. Unfortunately neither are successful and after two hours they're at a stalemate. Eventually the bartender, who’s name is Balthazar apparently, approaches and tells them they are both winners, and that the pool hall is closing. 

Dean happily kisses Castiel in surrender and settles their tab. 

Once both men are back on the street, Dean turns to his boyfriend and is momentarily stunned by how wonderful he looks. “Would you want to come back to my place?” He finds himself asking, crossing his fingers that Cas says…

“Yes. I’d love that.” Cas is grinning and it’s positively hungry. Maybe Dean showing off his ass did work after all. 

They climb back on the bike, and this time Dean less pressured to hide the excitement in his pants. 

Dean directs them to his apartment by tapping Castiel’s sides to signal when to turn. When they pull up to the house Dean dismounts the bike and pulls off his helmet, trying to remain cool and not bounce in excitement like he wants to. Cas seems to sense it anyway, because he doesn’t dawdle; just turns the bike off and pulls Dean towards the building, helmets still in hand. 

Inside the building, Dean leads them up to his floor. When they pause outside his door, Castiel practically plasters himself against Dean’s back and presses sweet kisses against the back of Dean’s neck. 

After a fumble or two, Dean is able to finally get his key into the lock, twisting it with too much force and nearly snapping the whole thing off. 

Once they cross the threshold, all bets are off. Both their helmets hit the floor simultaneously, since both mens’ hands are otherwise engaged. Dean’s go to Castiel’s hair, while Cas’ drop to Dean’s ass. Their mouths meet with singular purpose, and Dean moans into it. “Cas, this isn’t too soon, is it?” Dean breathes out, once Cas moves on to sucking marks into his neck. 

“No, Dean, I don’t think it’s too soon. You do want this, right?” Cas asks, pausing in his ministrations. 

“Oh _God_ , yes, Cas. I want this.” Dean moans again when Cas squeezes the tender skin of his upper thighs. 

Castiel grins and licks a stripe from Dean’s collarbone to the skin behind his ear. “Good. Bedroom?” 

Dean pulls away reluctantly and grabs Cas’ hands, pulling them towards his bedroom. They strip as they walk, tripping on pant legs and throwing shirts. By the time they get to Dean’s bedroom they’re both down to their birthday suits, hard, and panting. 

Dean falls onto the bed first, and scoots towards the middle of the bed, spreading his legs wantonly. Cas just stands at the end of the bed, eyes taking in as much as they can while stroking his cock slowly. “What do you say you get yourself ready for me, Dean?”

 _Oh, hell yeah_. 

Dean winks at his partner and grabs his trusty bottle of lube from the beside table, and tosses a condom up as well. With Cas still watching, he dribs the slippery liquid on his fingers and dives right in, so to speak. He breaches his hole with two fingers right away, hissing through the perfect combination of pleasure and pain. Castiel is watching him, still rubbing his cock but now twisting on the up stroke. 

The sight alone has Dean’s cock weeping a fat bead of precome. With the hand that isn’t otherwise engaged he collects the drip and brings it to his mouth, sucking his own release off his fingers. The taste of the bitter liquid pushes out more come, and Dean moans. 

Two fingers becomes three, and when three becomes four, Dean finds himself being manhandled onto his hands and knees by a suddenly impatient Cas. 

“Fuck, Dean,” Cas groans. “You are a gift. I cannot believe you chose me.”

Dean doesn’t get a chance to reply before he feels the pressure of a different set of fingers at his hole. “So sloppy for me. You’re hole is so hungry for my cock.” Dean can hear the rip of a wrapper and the sounds of lube being spread. “Ready?” 

Dean nods his head, pressing his ass back towards Cas. When he feels Cas’ thick member pressing against his hole, he exhales sharply. “ _Fuck yeah_ , come on, Cas.” 

“You asked for it,” Cas says, and Dean can practically hear the grin on his face. 

Cas slides home in one insistent, beautiful thrust. 

Dean takes a shuttering breath, trying to comprehend the perfect feeling of being filled by Cas. 

Every time Dean’s bottomed there’s been something missing. Not that he hasn’t liked it, but it’s never been like this. This is exemplary. Perfect. Dean’s pretty sure he could live with Cas’ cock right where it is and be absolutely content. 

While still balls deep, Cas circles his hips, pressing into all of the hidden nooks and crannies of Dean’s body. Dean moans; a scream building in his throat already. His cock is dripping onto his sheets. 

He feels as Castiel spreads his cheeks, probably to get a better look at his cock sitting comfortably in Dean’s hole. 

“Are you going to fuck me, or what?” Dean manages to grind out through clenched teeth. 

“Yes, Dean. I’m just getting started.” Cas is barely finished speaking before he pulls out almost completely and thrusts back in. 

That scream, the one that Dean tried to suppress breaks free. Cas doesn’t let up, just keeps pulling out and pounding back in. The headboard is banging against the wall, and Dean is beyond caring about the needy sounds he’s making. 

Part of Dean is screaming at himself to reach below himself, and pull on his cock until it’s erupting, but he doesn’t. He wants to come, just like this, with nothing but Cas in his ass, or not at all. 

Cas’ rhythm starts to falter. Dean can tell he’s close. “Dean,” he groans. “I want to come on you, mark you with my spent. Can I do that?”

“Yes, Cas, do it,” Dean replies, breathless and so, _so_ close. 

Cas’ thrusts pick up, and now they’re nailing Dean’s prostate at every thrust. 

Without warning Dean is coming, probably soaking the bedspread with the amount of come he can feel pulsing out of his cock. The rhythmic tensing of his ass sends Cas over and before Dean can comprehend what's happening Cas is pulling out, ripping off the condom, and coming over the tense muscles of Dean’s lower back and ass. 

Totally spent and satisfied, Dean collapses, not even caring that he’s lying in the wet spot. Dean expects to feel a shift in the mattress as Cas gets up, but instead he feels the hot slip of Cas’ tongues as it cleans up the mess he made of Dean’s body. 

It’s one of the hottest things Dean’s ever felt, and his cock twitches valiantly. 

Once Cas has deemed Dean clean enough, he scoots up beside Dean and kisses his sweaty shoulder. 

“Thank you,” Dean says drowsily. “That was really freakin’ hot.”

Cas chuckles and somehow gets the bedspread out from under Dean’s body and pulls it over the both of them. “You’re very welcome.”

“Mmmm,” Dean moans as he snuggles back into Cas’ warmth, happy to be the little spoon. “Wanna do that in the morning, too, okay?”

“Okay, Dean,” Cas promises. “Whenever you want.”

Dean smiles and pulls Cas’ arm tighter around his waist, wiggling just right to get Cas’ softening cock to rest in the crease of his ass. Cas moans and presses closer. “Night, Cas.” 

Cas kisses the back of Dean’s shoulder, then his neck and behind his ear. “Goodnight, Dean. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Dean falls asleep feeling happier than he has in years, and he’s sure it’s all thanks to the man behind him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't do slow burn. 
> 
> Hope you liked it! Let me know if you did... or if you didn't. I don't really care. 
> 
> Also, I don't know if anyone notices this about my stories, but I tend to get names for bars and kinds from other shows I'm watching. I'm in the UK now and the only thing I can watch on Netflix is Gossip Girl... as in Blair _Waldorf >/i> and the _Empire_ Hotel. Am I sneaky or what?_


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is a little short, but it's literally just sex with like a little bit of fluff at the end because I'm weak and can't help myself. Is it weird that I've been waiting to write this for like months? Who thinks about porn, like really specific porn, for that long?

When Dean wakes, the early morning light is just starting to peek in through his window. For a moment Dean wonders why he’s awake at all, but then he feels the hot length of Cas’ cock between his cheeks. Dean grins. Someone sure is happy.

Castiel did say they’d have sex in the morning _whenever he wanted_.

Dean finds himself volleying through the possibilities; he could take Cas into his mouth or he could use his hand. But Dean can’t help but think that’s a waste of a good cock.

He instead grabs the lube bottle from the nightstand and slicks up his fingers. He cants his hips away from Cas to check his hole, which is still sloppy and open from its thorough fucking the night before.

The tricky part comes when he has to roll the condom down Cas’ shaft without waking the sleeping man. Either Cas is the heaviest sleeper ever, or he’s great at pretending for Dean’s sake. Once the condom is secure Dean pauses, but Castiel’s breaths are still coming deep and slow. He uses the lube left on his hand to slick Cas up.

Dean shifts back against Cas’ body, and uses his hand to guide Cas’ cock to his hole.

The swollen head breaches Dean’s body, and Dean freezes. He can’t help panting, because this is one of the hottest things he’s ever done. His cock is harder than steel, and he strokes it absentmindedly.

Castiel stays frustratingly still, so Dean clenches his ass rhythmically, hoping Cas’ body will get the hint eventually.

After what feels like an eternity of Dean trying to get a reaction out of his boyfriend, the body behind him starts to move forward.

It starts slowly. Cas’ hips move forward, subconsciously seeking the warmth of Dean’s willing body. Dean would almost laugh at the quiet snore-moans that are ghosting across the back of his neck, if he wasn’t instead preoccupied with quieting his own sounds of satisfaction.  
Somehow, even in sleep, Cas’ body somehow knows exactly how to move to drive Dean absolutely _fucking crazy_.

His perfect dick is like a hot rod of pleasure. He's still moving slowly, but his thrusts are also deep and hard. He’s sliding across Dean’s prostate, sending shocks through Dean’s whole body.

“Oh, _fuck_ ,” Dean moans. He bites his pillow between his teeth in an attempt to get himself together. It just feels so good. Dean’s never been fucked like this and, for Christ’s sake, Cas is asleep!

Dean just allows himself to feel good. He wants to fucking bask in this moment.

It could be an hour or a year of some of the surprisingly best sex of Dean’s life, before Dean feels Cas’ arm tighten around his waist. The rest of Cas’ body freezes, but his hips move forward just an inch as if he has to make sure that what’s happening isn't a dream.

“Dean?” He asks, his voice rough with sleep. “What the are…?”

Dean pushed back against Cas’ body and grins at Cas’ stuttered moan. “Don’t stop now, Cas. I was enjoying myself.”

Cas groans and bites, _literally bites_ , at Dean’s shoulder before thrusting forward _hard_. “You enchant me, Dean. You are a complete vision.”

Dean laughs through a moan. “You flatterer. Now get movin’, Cas.” He reaches back and smacks Cas’ bare ass.

“You’re insufferable,” Cas laughs. Then he pulls his hips back before slamming forward. “Mmm, your body opens up so perfectly for me.” He thrusts again, pushing Dean over onto his front, and crowds on top of him.

Dean cants his hips up, forcing Cas deeper and whines when it just barely grazes his prostate.

Cas rolls his body into Dean’s rhythmically, his body acting like the finest instrument. “Do you like this, Dean?”

“Yes, Cas, Jesus! Keep going.” Dean is panting into his pillow. He wants to reach a hand underneath himself, to touch his neglected cock, but there’s no way to reach it with Cas’ weight pressing him into the mattress. “Fuck, harder.”

Cas presses an almost chaste kiss to the back of Dean’s neck which seems almost out of place compared to the dirty things his body is doing. Then he leans towards Dean’s ear, licks the lobe, and whispers, “You asked for it.”

Dean feels two strong hands on his hips, and then he’s being manhandled onto his knees with one hand holding his shoulders down. Dean groans, knowing he could likely have hand shape bruises on his hips later and liking the idea very much.

Cas pulls out and Dean feels his thumbs pull his cheeks apart. “God, again with the looking. Why don’t you take a picture, it’ll last longer.” Almost immediately one of Cas’ hands leave his body and start groping around the bed. “What are you doing?” Dean asks.

“Looking for my phone, so I can do as you suggested,” Cas said in complete seriousness, like his dick isn't _currently_ nearly balls deep in Dean’s ass.

“Seriously?" Dean whines, clenching his ass around Cas, hoping to get him back on the fucking road, but to no avail. He grabs his phone from the nightstand and hands it back to his boyfriend. “Here. Use mine.”

Cas hums in satisfaction and fumbles a bit trying to spread Dean’s cheeks adequately while also holding the phone. He whines comically when he can’t get the angle right and asks, “Could you maybe hold yourself open for me? I would hate to take an unflattering picture.”

Dean can practically hear his grin, but still finds himself reaching back with both hands, digging his fingertips into the globes of his own ass, and pulling them open. He hears Cas moan, followed by the annoying shutter click of the phone’s camera. When he expects to hear the other man set down the camera, he instead hears the sound of the video being turned on. “What the hell?” Dean starts to say, but his sentence ends in a moan as Cas starts fucking him so perfectly, all for a fucking _video_.

“Yes, Dean. Moan for me,” Cas says so prettily, his voice like a deep rumble. Dean know’s he’s playing it up, but _fuck_ is he falling for it.

“Yes, feels so good,” Dean whines, having to exaggerate an embarrassingly little amount. Who knew he’d be such a slut for the camera.

Cas delivers an expert thrust, and the air feels like it’s been knocked out of Dean’s lungs. “Say my name, Dean.”

“Nngh, Cas.” Again, it’s embarrassing how much Dean is getting turned on. His cock, which has been almost entirely ignored, is leaking fat globs of come onto his sheets, and Dean will definitely have to wash them later.

The Cas pauses, and does that damned hip circle thing that has Dean seeing starts, and says, “No, Dean. Say my name.”

“Oh fuck, _Castiel_. Goddammit I’m so close,” Dean moans, pressing his ass back into Cas’ renewed thrusts.

Cas moves a hand to Dean’s ass and he feels a lone, slippery circle the cock in his hole. Then it’s stretching him even wider, and situating itself snuggly next to Cas’ cock. It's the fullest Dean’s ever been and it feels phenomenal.

The added pressure pushes Dean to the edge of release, but something is holding him back from taking the plunge. Cas must feel it, because his thrusts take on a surgical precision, nailing his prostate every time while the extra finger stimulates his taint from inside.

“Come on, Dean,” Cas coo’s. “Come for the camera like a good boy.”

Dean remembers the camera, and the video that Cas is in no doubt still filming. It’s that thought, and the anticipation of watching that recording later, that sends Dean over the edge. He moans around his release, and can tell Cas is close. He has just enough mental faculties left to turn his head and say to Cas, “ Come on me, again. Paint my fucking ass.”

He hears a mumbled curse and then Cas is pulling out, and coming hot stripes against Dean’s exposed skin. He feels the other man rub the come in, just a little, before there is a tinny sound of the recording being ended. Dean hears the phone drop onto the mattress, and then Cas is following, pulling Dean into a warm and affectionate kiss. After he manages to kiss Dean breathless he pulls away, and smiles. “Good morning,” he says shyly, which seems fucking ridiculous all things considered.

But Dean grins anyway, “Good morning to you too, handsome. Or should I call you Speilberg?”

Cas blushes. “I’m sorry, was that too much?”

Dean laughs and pulls Cas into another kiss. “No way. That was fucking awesome.”

“We do owe Meg a sexy picture,” Cas says, which makes Dean scowl.

“Like Hell I’m ever showing her that, Jesus Christ! She’d send it to Guys Gone Wild, or Vivid to something,” Dean says with a shudder. “That one’s just for us, okay? Besides, she wanted a picture of you, not me.”

Cas shifts around so his right arm is around Dean’s shoulder and holds out the camera with his left. “Smile,” he says. Dean does as told, and before he can object Cas is sending the picture off, to Meg presumedly. “There.”

Dean snatches the phone out of his hand and looks down at the message.

“I guess I can live with that,” Dean says. He turns his head and catches Cas’ mouth in a kiss. He can feel the other man smiling into it, but can’t seem to care, because he’s smiling too. Things are starting to get hot, and Dean’s cock is trying so hard to get ready for more action, when his phone chimes. “Ignore it,” Dean whispers as his hand sneaks up Cas’ chest to tweak a nipple.

“But what if Meg doesn’t like our picture? This is a world of instant gratification, Dean,” Cas says, and Dean can tell he’s mostly joking.

“I’ll show you instant gratification,” Dean snipes back, which just makes Cas laugh. Both men pull away and look at the phone screen together.

“See? Nothing to worry about.” The words are barely out of his mouth before the phone chimes again. Dean reads the message and groans, shoving the phone in Cas’ face. “Really, dude?”

Cas has the audacity to laugh, as he wiggles the come crusted fingers on his right hand. “I didn’t see them?”

“Yeah, right,” Dean says with a glare, even though he couldn’t care in the slightest. “Here, I have an idea.”

Dean wiggles back into Cas’ hold, just like before with Cas’ right arm around him, but instead he pulls that come covered hand closer, and sticks two of the fingers in his mouth. He takes another picture, checking it over before sending it off. He looks over at Cas and winks. Cas’ face is flushed, likely from both embarrassment and arousal. Dean, without breaking eye contact, sucks on the fingers still in his mouth. From their close proximity he can see Cas’ pupils dilate. He laves his tongue over the pads of Cas’ fingers and can see his cock stir out of the corner of his eye.

Once he’s sure the fingers are clean he pulls them out of his mouth, and grins. “What do you say we take a shower, then get some breakfast? I could really go for some waffles.”

Cas stares Dean down until he’s rock hard again, then speaks. “If you think I’m letting you out of this apartment, or this bed, before lunch then you are sorely mistaken.”

“Good thing Cains serves waffles all day, then,” Dean says with a grin, Then, because he can’t help himself, he grabs Cas’ hand and brings it back to his hole. “I like what you said about being sore, though. Think you’re up for the challenge, Cas?”

“Oh, believe me,” Cas says while dipping one finger into Dean’s loose hole. “I am more than up for it.”

As the men walk to the shower, they are too focused on the feeling of hands on bare skin, and mouthed fitting _just right_ into the hollows of collarbones, that they miss the phone chiming with new messages.

* * *

 

To: MEG

In repentance for Dean stealing your dibs. 

IMAGE ATTATCHED

From: Meg

I guess that's sexy enough ;)

OMG! Is that cum on your hand?!

To: MEG

This better for ya?

IMAGE ATTATCHED

From: MEG

GROSS!

Fuck you, Winchester.

But congrats. Or whatever. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot believe I called it a hot rod of pleasure. Ugh... oh well. Worth it.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just this chapter and the epilogue. I've loved this story, and I hope you guys have too!

Dean should have expected this would happen eventually. After all, it wasn’t like Castiel was Julia’s only family. 

In the month since Dean and Castiel started dating, things had fallen into a new kind of normal. Most days after Dean got off work Cas would meet him at The Oaks and they would get dinner, normally at the Roadhouse (since Dean eventually worked up the nerve to take Cas there). Then they would go back to Dean’s. In the morning, after a long shared shower they would go to Cain’s for breakfast, before Cas dropped Dean off at work again. 

The Oaks continued to chug along like a happy, elderly train. Two days after the Webber incident a young, nervous asian boy showed up and situated himself into The Oaks staff. He was a good kid, if a little jumpy, and Dean liked having him around. A week later Dean walked into the home to see Claire and Kevin sitting at the front desk, heads bent over a chemistry book as Kevin explained… something. Dean just raised a brow. When Cas took Dean out a week later and saw the two younger kids at a table across the restaurant, he didn’t say anything.

(But Dean started seeing more smiles on Claire’s face, and he figured Kevin was doing something right.)

Cas proved to be a great boyfriend. He worked his ass off at Cain’s, and continued volunteering even after he completed his necessary hours. The couple even had dinner with Hani one night, and it was surprisingly not awkward.

He still had his hang ups; he thought he was unworthy of affection, and hated how his mistakes effected his family. 

Dean’s head are in the clouds, thinking about maybe taking Cas away for the weekend to relax, when one of those hangups appears in front of him. 

“Hello. Is Julia around? I didn’t see her in her room?”

Dean looks up, and comes face to face with Anna. She’s still as pretty as Dean thought the first time but she looks tired somehow, and sad. Dean realizes that she and Cas share the same kicked puppy look in their eyes. 

“No, sorry," Dean says when he realizes he hasn’t answered her question. “She and Jay went with some other residents to the zoo.”

“Oh, okay.” Anna says. “Could you let her know I stopped by?”

Dean watches as Anna turns, ready to leave. He barely thinks before stopping her. “Anna?” 

She turns back towards Dean with a questioning look on her face. “Yes?”

“Uh, can I talk to you for a sec?” Dean hates how unsure and awkward he sounds, though it’s not like he planned on talking to her. When Anna nods, even though she looks confused, Dean leads her towards the armchairs that the Carrigan’s usually occupy. Once they’re sitting Dean hold out a hand. “Sorry. I’m Dean. I don’t know if we’ve ever been introduced.”

Anna shakes his hand. “Gran’s told me about you.”

“Did she, uh, did she tell you that I’m datin’ Cas?” Dean pulls his hand back and immediately rubs at the back of his neck nervously. This had better go well, or Cas was going to be so pissed. 

Anna’s face tightens up, but there is a hint of despondency in her eyes, which gives Dean some hope. “Yeah,” Anna says eventually, “She mentioned that.”

Dean leans forward in his seat, and clasps his hands in-between his knees. “Look, I’m not gonna assume to know how you feel. From what Cas’ told me, some truly shitty stuff went down.” Anna scoffs, but doesn’t interrupt. “But I know he’s sorry. And he misses you like crazy.” 

“He said that?” Anna asks quietly. 

“Well, no,” Dean admits, “But he talks about you a lot. We, uh, well, Cas dragged me to a farmers market a week or so ago, and he kept talkin’ about how you used to go together, and how annoyed you were with his obsession with the honey stand. Which I totally get, by the way.”

“It was just weird,” Anna interjects. 

Dean chuckles and agrees. “So weird. He bought like five bottles. I’m not tryin’ to get you to do something you don’t want to, or anything like that. But I just thought I should let you know.”

Anna is silent, but Dean can see her working through what he said. “I miss him,” she admits. “But I can’t help that I’m mad at him, even now.”

“I know. I’m not sayin’ you should just forget it,” Dean says. “I just think you should give him a chance to make amends.”

“You really care about him,” Anna says. It’s not a question. 

“Yeah, I really do.” Dean smiles and he can feel his cheeks get warm. 

Anna nods and stands. “Thanks. For telling me, and for being there for him, I guess.”

“Of course,” Dean tells her. “I’ll let Julia know you stopped by.”

Then Anna is gone, and Dean takes a moment to hope he didn’t make things worst. 

* * *

A couple days later Dean is changing into his street clothes, having already watched Meg clock in and start her shift, when he feels a pair of strong hands wrap around his waist. For a split second he expects something sexy to happen, but then he realizes that’s not what’s happening. 

Cas is hugging him, burying his face in Dean’s neck. 

“Cas?” Dean asks, perplexed. “What’s up, man?”

Cas doesn’t talk right away, he just hugs Dean closer. Dean rubs at Cas’ forearms and leans back. If he’s going to be hugged, may as well enjoy it. They stand that way, just enjoying the comforts. And then Cas speaks. “You talked to Anna.”

For a moment Dean’s worried, but this seems like a ‘thank you’ hug, not a ‘I need comfort’ hug. “Yeah. What happened?”

Cas just squeezes Dean once more before loosening his arms enough for Dean to shift in his grip. “She came by Cain’s this morning."

“And?” Dean prompts. 

“Our issues won’t be solved in a day, but she let me apologize, and seemed to want to accept. Then she told me that nobody needs five jars of honey.” Cas smiles at Dean, a beautiful, gummy smile. “I truly don’t know what I did to deserve you. Dean, thank you.”

“I want to see you happy, man,” Dean says. Then he leans forward and kissed Cas on his plump lips. “I… really like you.”

Cas grins. “I really like you too, Dean. Will you let me take you out tonight?”

“That was the plan,” Dena laughs. 

“I mean like _take you out_ take you out,” Cas clarifies, as if that helps at all. “I made us a reservation at Cafe Oz.”

Dean looks down at his jeans and flannel, and then back up at his boyfriend. “Do I have time to change?”

“Of course, Dean,” Cas says, then he winks. “We have time for a shower too.”

Dean fist pumps the air, and Cas rolls his eyes. 

* * *

Cafe Oz isn’t as busy as it was last time, for which Dean is happy. The hostess is the same as the last time, and there is a flicker of recognition in her eyes before she leads them to a small corner booth. It’s in the corner of the room so Dean and Cas can really get cozy; their knees and feet knocking together under the table. Cas has his arm around Dean’s shoulder, and is kissing him sweetly on the cheek when a woman approaches their table. 

Dean looks up and see’s Charlie, the woman who helped them last time. “Yup. Still dreamy.”

“Hey, Charlie, right?” Dean asks, straightening in his seat but remaining in Cas’ hold. 

“Good memory, handsome customer,” Charlie says, unsheathing a pad and pen from her apron pocket. “You boys need drinks?”

“Beer’s good for me,” Dean tells her. “Cas?” 

Cas grins at her. “Same. Thank you.”

She doodles something on her pad (a big heart if Dean would venture a guess) and curtseys before skipping away. 

“I like her,” Dean comments. “She’s got moxie.”

“Since when are you a gangster from the forties?” Cas leans in and kisses Dean on the tender flesh below his ear. 

Dean nudges Cas with his shoulder and laughs. “Shut up, man.” Dean turns and kisses his boyfriend chastely on the lips. 

Their faces are close, and Dean can make out the swirl of colors and emotions in Cas’ eyes. He’s happy. Dean likes that. He lifts his hand, and runs it through the downy hair at Cas’ temple. Cas leans into the contact, and turns to kiss Dean’s wrist. 

There’s a subtly _clunk_ -ing sound, and Dean turns to see Charlie setting down their drinks. “Sorry. I feel like I’m always interrupting the moments,” Charlie says with a grimace. 

“Don’t be,” Dean tells her with a smile. “Cas just can’t help himself. I mean, come on,” Dean says before gesturing to his body with his hand, “Look at me.” 

“Ignore him,” Cas interrupts, elbowing Dean in the ribs. 

“Rude,” Dean whispers. 

Charlie is laughing at them openly now. “You boys are just _too_ cute,” Charlie practically swoons. “Dinner?”

“The steak was awesome last time. I’ll do that again.” Dean hands over his menu with a smile. 

“Medium okay?” Charlie asks, making a note on her pad. 

Dean winks. “Hell yeah! Cas?”

The blue eyed man hands his menu over the table as well. “I’lll have the same.”

“You got it.” Then Charlie is gone, and the men are again left to their own devices. 

“So, what did you really say to Anna?” Cas asks, wrapping his arm around Dean once again. 

“I don’t know, man,” Dean says with a blush. “I just said that I could tell you missed her, and that she should give you a chance to apologize.”

Cas smiles and pulls Dean close, so their foreheads are pressed together. “I must thank you again, Dean. I didn’t think I’d ever get my sister back.”

Dean doesn’t know what to say, so he just closes the distance between them, pressing a kiss to Cas’ lips. “Family is important,” he finally says. 

Conversation shifts to easier subjects. Dean is telling Cas about the ever developing romance between Claire and Kevin when their food arrives. The men dig in, moaning around the succulent meat, and laughing at their own noises. 

Charlie checks in intermittently, making sure their enjoying their food and offering them dessert menus. Dean is reaching for one, when Cas stops him with a hand on his wrist. “I have something waiting for us back home.”

“Naughty,” Dean and Charlie say together, then they laugh and high five. 

“Not like that,” Cas scolds them lightly. “Just the check, I think.”

“You got it, hoss.” Charlie leaves them to their own devices, and Dean looks to his boyfriend with a raised brow. 

“It’s a surprise,” is all Cas says, and Dean pouts. Charlie takes one look at them and laughs as she drops off their bill. Cas leaves enough cash to cover it, and leave a sizable tip. He slides out of the booth and pulls Dean along with him. “Come on.” 

Cas takes them back to his apartment, but pauses outside the door. “Close your eyes, Dean.” Dean complies without question. 

Dean hears Cas unlock the door, and feels as Cas grabs his hand. He is pulled into the house, and then Cas pushes him down onto the sofa. “Stay.”

Dean laughs and lets out a little yipping bark. He can hear Cas chuckle as he walks away. 

Dean can hear Cas fiddling with something in the kitchen and then he feels Cas sit down on the couch next to him. What feels like a plate it set down in front of him. “Open your eyes.” Dean does, and he looks down at his lap. 

“Pie!” He looks to Cas, who is smiling shyly. “Did you make this?” 

Cas opens his mouth, likely to say yes, but Dean raises a brow. He knows Cas isn’t the greatest chef. “No. I brought it home from Cain’s.” 

Dean grins smugly and closes the distance between them, kissing Cas soundly. He slips his tongue into Cas’ mouth quickly, like a tease of what’s to come, before pulling away. “You’re awesome. I know there was a reason I liked you.”

“Yeah, about that,” Cas says. Dean has a forkful of pie halfway to his mouth but he freezes. “I may have misspoke earlier.”

Dean looks down at the pie morosely, and then back to Cas. “Is this break up pie? Cause I’m gettin’ a lot of mixed signals here, Cas.”

Cas actually laughs and pulls Dean’s plate out of his lap, setting it and his own on the coffee table. Then he promptly climbs into Dean’s lap. 

“This is far from break up pie, Dean,” Cas says. He pulls Dean into a deep and wet kiss, that is equally dirty and sweet. “Earlier I said that I really liked you. I may have misrepresented my feelings.” 

Cas pulls him into another kiss, while his hands slowly unbutton Dean’s shirt. His fingers find Dean’s nipples and he tweaks them until their stiff and Dean is moaning below him. “Cas?”

“What I mean to say is,” Cas says as he pulls off Dean’s shirt, then his own. “I think I love you, Dean.” 

Dean’s breath leaves him, and Cas takes a moment to kiss underneath Dean’s jaw. “You don’t have to say it back,” Cas whispers into the hollow of Dean’s throat. “I just thought you should know.” 

Dean groans and wraps his arms snuggly around Cas’ waist. “Fuck, Cas. Of course I love you too. Just didn’t know how to say it.” Dean can feel Cas smile against his skin, and can feel himself do the same. 

Cas’ hips, which had seemed shockingly still thus far, grind down and Dean moans. “Do you have lube?” Dean asks as he unbuttons Cas’ pants. 

“Not necessary,” Cas tells him. Then Cas stands suddenly, pulling off his pants, then Dean’s. He crawls back onto Dean’s lap, directing Dean’s hand around his body. Dean trails his fingers down Cas’ crack until they run into smooth silicone. “I may have been planning this.”

Dean groans. “You wore that during dinner?” Cas nods. “Fuck, we rode the bike there.”

“You should try it sometime,” Cas says with a saucy leer. 

Dean grabs onto the plug and wiggles it within Cas’ body. “God, I love you.” 

Cas whimpers and Dean doesn’t know if it’s because of the words or the plug, until Cas speaks. “Say it again.” 

Dean pulls out the plug, and whispers, “I love you.” 

Cas groans, “Again.”

Dean lines up and presses the head of his cock against Cas’ hole and thrusts up, just enough for the head to slip in. They’ve been doing this bare for a couple weeks, ever since they got tested, but Dean still isn’t used to it. “I love you,” he says, 

“Again,” Cas says as he takes control and sinks down all the way. 

“Fuck, Cas. Nngh,” Dean moans. “I fucking love you.” 

“Love you too, Dean,” Cas tells him. Then he pulls Cas into a searing kiss, and words become so much less important. 

Their bodies move instinctively. They’ve done this dance so many times. Still, Dean feels like his nerve endings are singing, praising him and Cas for what they’re doing. The couple are chest to chest. Castiel has his arms around Dean’s neck, while Dean claws at Cas’ back. It feels so perfect, Dean never wants it to end. 

“Fuck, Cas,” Dean moans. “God I love this. Love you.” Cas’ movements are getting more erratic, meaning he’s close. Dean is too, so he wraps his hand around Cas’ weeping cock and squeezes, just once, right at the tip. “I want to see you come, Cas. You’re so beautiful.”

Cas squeezes his eyes close and slams down once more, and then he’s coming all over Dean’s hand and chest. His inner muscles squeeze like a vice around Dean and that’s all the wrote. Dean comes apart with a shout, biting into Cas’ shoulder and painting his insides with his spent. 

Dean stands abruptly, while he’s still inside Cas, and walks them towards Cas’ bed. He settles them down, and pulls his softening cock out of Cas. 

“I love you, Dean,” Cas says fondly as he pulls Dean down so the other man is pillowed on his chest. 

Dean curls into Cas’ warmth and smiles. “I love you too Cas.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sweet babies!


	14. Epilogue

It’s Friday night, and the The Oaks Retirement home is having a very special cocktail party. 

Dean is in Jay’s barely used room, attempting to get his tie to lie flat. He’s nervous, and his hands are shaking. The door creaks open, and Dean turns to see Jay pop his head into the room. “Can I come in?”

“”S your room, old man,” Dean says with a grin. Jay rolls his eyes and pushes the door open enough to slip in.

“You’re not a spring chicken, kid,” Jay snarks. “You nervous?”

Dean scoffs, then scoffs again louder, but Jay just laughs at him. “Not at all. Why would I be nervous?”

“There’s no reason to be, you know.” Dean refuses to look Jay in the eye, making the other man roll his eyes _again._

The tie isn’t cooperating. Dean huffs and pulls it through his collar with a _ziiip_. “Stupid fuckin’ thing,” he mumbles. He shakes the tie out, like that’ll do anything, and then loops it back around his neck.

He feels Jay step up behind him and spin him around by the shoulders. Then his hands are at the ends of the tie, knotting it in less than a minute. “It’s your year’s of practice,” Dean tells him with a frown.

“You're pushing your luck,” Jay bites, but he’s fighting a smile. Dean’s face cracks and he’s pulling one of his favorite residents into a manly hug, back slaps included.

There is a knock at the door, and then is swinging open. Cas is standing in the doorway, dressed impeccably in a suit that’s much nicer than Dean’s.

“Cas! You’re not supposed to see me!” Dean says in mock shock as he dashes around to hide behind Jay.

“You’re not a bride, Dean,” Cas says fondly. “I just thought I should let you know that you’re family has arrived.”

Dean grins and practically skips to his boyfriends side. “Let’s go say hi,” he says. Cas immediately laces his fingers through Deans and pulls him towards the from of the Home. Dean checks the living room as they pass it, and is happy to see Aaron and Kevin setting up the chairs, with Claire watching. The young woman looks softer today, in a grayish-blue one shoulder dress, and Dean can see that Kevin is watching her more than the chairs.

At the front of the Home, near the front door, there is a group of people milling around. Dean spots Sam right away, with his gargantuan head popping up over everyone else’s. Dean puts two fingers in his mouth and whistles, catching everyone’s attention. Sam and Mary smile and push their way towards the couple. Adam and Kate wave, but are engrossed in a conversation with Jo and Ellen. 

“Hey Sammy,” Dean says, pulling his brother into a hug. Out of the corner of his eye he see’s Cas embracing his mother and it fills his heart with warmth.

“It looks nice in here,” Sam says as he takes in the decorations.

“Who knew Claire had such an eye for aesthetics,” is Dean’s reply as he pulls his mother into a hug.

“Hello, Sam,” Cas says besides Dean, and he and Sam hug as well.

While his boyfriend and brother exchange pleasantries, Dean leans down to whisper to his mother. “Did you bring it?” Mary nods and taps at her dress pocket. “Hey guys, I gotta show mom something real quick, you good?”

Sam and Cas nod absentmindedly so Dean and Mary are able to slip away. They don’t go far, just into the abandoned staff room. Dean closes the door and turns towards his mother. He watches as she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small, velvet pouch. “He’d be so happy for you, Dean,” Mary says as she hands it over to Dean carefully.

Dean takes the small pouch and pulls the drawstring open. He upturns it, and catches a thick silver band falls into his hand. “I know it’s a little unorthodox,” he says as he uses touches his father’s wedding ring.

“Dean, I think it’s a beautiful sentiment,” Mary says, and Dean feels his nerves return. “You’re not having second thoughts, are you?” His mother asks, obviously misreading Dean’s silence.

“Hell no,” Dean says as he pockets the ring. Mary raises a brow at his language and Dean flushes. “Sorry. But no, not at all. Just worried.”

“Worried?” Mary laughs. “You don’t think he’ll say no, do you?”

Dean shrugs and shuffles on his feet. “I don’t know. Maybe?”

Mary steps forward and frames Dean’s face in her small, worn hands. “Dean. I love you, but that is utter horse shit.”

“Mom!” Dean laughs.

“Don’t interrupt me,” Mary scolds with a laugh. “Castiel loves you, everyone can see how crazy you two are for each other. There is no doubt in my mind that he is going to accept.”

Dean feels a swell of warmth in his chest. “Yeah?”

“Yes, sweetheart.” Mary goes onto his tiptoes and presses a motherly kiss to Dean’s cheek. “We should get back to the party. It’s about to start soon.”

Dean checks his watch and grimaces. “Crap.”

Mother and son head back to the main room, where the crowd has grown. Cas is nowhere to be seen, but Sam is there chatting to Eileen using a mix of spoken words and messy signs. Eileen doesn’t seem to mind, and in fact is smiling at Sam’s attempts.

“Anna grabbed Cas a couple minutes ago,” Sam explains once Dean and Mary are within hearing distance. “Should we get a seat?”

As if he summoned her, Claire approaches the group and cups her hands around her mouth. “Hey! Get seated, folks. We gotta a schedule to keep.”

Dean almost laughs at the lack of tact. Apparently you can dress the rebel like a princess, but that doesn’t make her any less than a rebel. The Winchesters and Eileen make their way towards where the chairs have been set up and take seats near the front. Jay is already standing up front, under an arbor the Carrigan’s made, with a pastor from the local church. He looks cool as a cucumber, and Dean envies him a little.

Not ten minutes later and a classical song starts playing through the crappy sound system and everyone turns. Anna is walking down the aisle with her arm looped elegantly around Cas’. The siblings are smiling, and it makes Dean so happy to see. It was awkward at first, but eventually they were able to work past their hardships and build a relationship that’s close and full of love.

At the front of the aisle Cas leads Anna up to her spot across a few steps down from Jay. Then he walks elegantly back up the aisle, winking at Dean as he passes. When the wedding march starts a minute later everyone stands, and looks towards the back of the room. There is Cas, again, only this time he’s leading Julia forward.

Julia looks beautiful in her white dress and bolero. Dean spares a glance at Jay, and the man has a wide smile on his face. At the alter Cas hands his grandmother off to Jay, shakes the man’s hand, then steps into his spot opposite his sister.

The ceremony is short and sweet. Julia and Jay exchange their own vows and the preacher names them husband and wife. They take their first walk down the aisle to Love Is All You Need, and Dean definitely _does not_ have to wipe away a tear when he sees Jay lean down to sing the words into Julia’s ear.

Cas and Anna follow them, but Cas pauses when he get’s to Dean’s row, and holds out a hand. Dean takes it and walks with his boyfriend and his sister to the dining hall, where Andrea has transformed it into a room worthy of and wedding magazine.

The tables have been rearranged so there’s a dance floor in the center, and they’re each draped with flowing white table clothes. Apparently old people hold onto those types of things, who knew? Jay and Julia are sitting at a small table near the front of the dance floor, just for the two of them.

There’s no assigned seating, so Cas and Dean head towards a table close to the newlyweds where Anna’s already siting. They're soon joined by Sam, Eileen and Mary. Kate and Adam fill the final seats, and the conversation falls easily to how lovely the ceremony was.

Dean remains mostly quiet, content to watch the people he cares about. Dean slips one arm around Cas’ shoulders, and Cas leans back to nuzzle his nose against Dean’s cheek. He places a kiss there, and Dean pulls him closer.

The food is brought out once everyone is seated. Benny really went above and beyond. There are plate heaping with mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables, corn bread, roasted chicken, and pork loins at every table. Dean fills his plate and digs in, moaning around the delectable food. “Oh my God. So good,” he says and everyone at the table rolls their eyes.

Dean’s nearly finished with his speech when Cas pulls away, and stands. He picks up his class and taps it with his fork. The room quiets and he clears his throat. “Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for being here today. I’ve never done this before, so bare with me.” The room chuckles. “So I consider myself to be very lucky to be able to call Julia my grandmother. She’s always been supportive, even when others weren’t. I, uh, I was told by my boyfriend that I shouldn’t tell the motorcycle story so I won’t.”

Someone ‘boo’s’ and Dean looks over to see Julia laughing while Jay shushes her.

“Anyway, when I met Jay I could instantly see how happy he made her. They seem to complete each other in a way that I had never known before,” Cas pauses and drops on hand to Dean’s shoulder and squeezes. He doesn’t have to say it, but Dean can read between the lines. “I am now proud to be able to call Jay my grandfather. I love you both very much, and wish you so much happiness.”

The room erupts in applause and Cas crosses the room to pull Julia and Jay into a hug. When he sits back down Dean whispers praise into his ear and Cas blushes. Anna give a toast next, but it’s similar to Cas’.

Their plates are cleared, then Jay leads Julia onto the dance floor for their first dance. Fly Me To The Moon starts playing and the couple starts a jaunty dance. Everyone watches and claps when Jay executes a perfect dip at the end. The music slips seamlessly into the next tune. Dean is surprised when Cas stands and hold out a hand. “Could I have this dance?”

Dean nods and allows Cas to walk them onto the floor. The song is slower, and Dean finds himself not caring at all when Cas starts leading them in a waltz.

_Can I stay here with you till the morning_

_I am so far from home_

_And I feel a little stoned_

_Can I stay here till the morning_

_There’s nothing I want more than to wake up on your floor_

Dean melts into Cas’ arms, and drops his head against his shoulder. The moment feels perfect, but Dean knows how to make it even better. Dean catches Julia’s eye across the floor and raises a questioning brow. Julia, knowing his plans, gives a little nod and whispers something into Jay’s ear. The couple slows down, eventually stoping to watch Dean and Cas fully. The rest of the dancers on the floor follow their leads until Cas and Dean are dancing alone in the center of the floor. 

“Dean? Why is everyone looking at us?” Cas asks as he looks around, event though he doesn’t stop dancing.

Dean stops and pulls away. Cas is tilting his head, looking at Dean with a confused look in his eye. Dean reaches into his pocket, pulls the ring into his palm, and drops down to one knee. “Castiel,” Dean says. His voice is surprisingly calm, considering how nervous he is. “I love you, so much, and it would be just _fuckin’ awesome_ if you would do me the honor of marrying me. I want you around forever, man.”

Cas’ eyes are glassy as he drops down so he and Dean are face to face. “Goddammit, Dean,” Cas swears, which is out of character and would be hilarious if it was in any other situation. Then he reaches into his chest pocket and pulls out his own ring. It’s silver, like Dean’s but shiny and new.

Dean laughs. “You tryin’ to steal my thunder?”

“Of course not, Dean,” Cas says. Then he hold out his left hand. “You’re turn first.”

Dean slips his father’s ring onto Cas’ finger, then kisses the knuckle. Cas smiles and reaches for Dean’s hand. The silver ring slips onto Dean’s finger snuggle, and feels absolutely perfect. “I love you,” Dean tells his fiancé.

“I love you too,” Cas says. And then their kissing. The room is applauding and cheering, but the happy couple have eyes only for each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well there it is, folks. I've had such a great time writing this story! For those of you who like my fics, I should let you know that I have another one cookin' and I plan to get it started as soon as I finish In Dreams (which I am planning to update later today). It's going to be a High School AU ( _I know, I know. Cliche_ ) but with a twist. So if that's your thing, keep your eyes peeled.


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